New Jersey Closes Districts with No Schools

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Education Policy and Improving K-12 Education

Maybe I'm missing the point of having a school district. To me, it's a neighborhood, a town, a city, or a county that pools together to create an education system for their (typically) youngest residents.

Apparently, that's not always the case.

In this edweek.org story, the state of NJ has forced the closure of numerous school districts that have no schools. As of a few years ago, there were nearly 300 of these districts in the country.

Are you aware of a no-school school district? What's the point? I'd think it'd make more sense to merge or close a district than keep it running without a school or students. And why would residents want to pay for a district without schools?

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I did read the article and I was really more confused after. Essentially, they grow so small they close the school but keep the offices open with a very part-time employee and a volunteer school board, and write tuition checks to larger districts nearby. Rather than being taxed for the schools at the going rate, some smaller home developments can just assess the fees it costs to send the few public school children to the neighboring district.

If the edweek article was an issue, it's also published in USA Today here: www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-07-01-schools-new-jersey_N.htm

I never heard of such a thing...I didn't click on the article, but in reponse to your questions, I can only imagine that they kept these "districts" going almost as "insurance." (Sort-of like having the ability to open a "charter-type" school, where they could run it by their own rules if they didn't like the education their children were getting elsewhere.)

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