Phillipsburg still waits District explores choices to pay for new high school Tuesday, October 09, 2007 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | As student-athletes enjoy the new fields at Phillipsburg's proposed high school site, district officials are strategizing ways to make that new school a reality. They've recently met with the state education commissioner and the chief executive officer of the Schools Development Authority to discuss ways to get the school built. The scenarios include waiting for the unlikely full state funding, regionalizing the district in some form or changing limitations that sending districts face on funding school construction projects. They expect Commissioner Lucille Davy to give them direction in writing within the next week. "We don't want to limit ourselves," said Paul Rummerfield, Phillipsburg's school board president. "We want to be as creative as we possibly can and work through this to come up with the best solution." While they wait for that input, they anticipate possible funding changes on the state level. Rummerfield said it is important to consider what they want rather than contending with legislation that doesn't solve their problems. They plan to meet with their bond counsel to explore that issue. Phillipsburg has been waiting more than two years for $88 million to build the new school. The state agency charged with overseeing a court-ordered school building program for poor districts, called Abbott districts, ran out of money due to waste and mismanagement. Phillipsburg was one of 59 projects left in the lurch, but Assistant Department of Education Commissioner Bill King noted its unique situation. A little more than half of the school's students are from non-Abbott districts, and there are 31 trailers parked on the cramped high school campus. Alpha, Bloomsbury, Greenwich, Lopatcong, Pohatcong and Phillipsburg students attend the high school. "They certainly have my full support and have had my full support," said King, who also attended the meeting. King is the former superintendent of Warren County. It remains to be seen how much funding the state will give and where it will come from, but it's unlikely it will fully fund the school. Phillipsburg is in a statutory bind: The sending districts can't contribute to the principal of a new construction project. Even if they agreed to chip in, existing legislation prevents them from doing so. Legislation is being contemplated that could address the sending and receiving relationship, according to officials who attended the meeting with Davy. A potential scenario consists of sending districts contributing money to offset the Abbott money the state would provide for the new high school. Then, each sending district's amount would need to be hashed out. Now, sending districts pay tuition based on number of students. Also, school officials from the sending districts would push for more representation on the district's school board. Regionalizing the district, whether just high school grades or kindergarten through 12th grade, would mean passing a referendum in all of the districts. Regionalizing the high school would create a new district and contradict consolidation efforts the state has been advocating. Last week, the Education Law Center filed a motion with the state Supreme Court to order the needed funding be provided for the building program. It's the second time this year the group took that step. Rummerfield indicated Monday night Phillipsburg would support that effort. Assemblyman Michael Doherty said any solution the district pursues needs ultimate approval from the state. Doherty, Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow and state Sen. Leonard Lance attended the meeting with Davy. "The status quo is unacceptable," Doherty said. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.