School construction agency says it will need millions more Thursday, May 18, 2006 • BY DUNSTAN McNICHOL • Star-Ledger Staff State officials retooling the agency set up to manage a massive rebuilding of public schools in New Jersey said they plan to ask lawmakers for a new infusion of construction money in August after they have finished management reforms. "Although we cannot at this time specify how much new funding will be needed, it is clear that a pressing need exists today to address the significant number of school facility projects that remain to be built," a task force set up to reform the state Schools Construction Corp. reported yesterday. The nine-page report, the second issued by the task force Gov. Jon Corzine set up four months ago, says improvements in staffing and management under way at the agency are developing the "capacity to manage an expanded portfolio of school construction projects." The corporation was in upheaval for months last year, after a series of reports revealed massive problems with its management of an $8.6 billion program to rebuild public schools. In the wake of the reports, the agency's board of directors was retooled, its top managers stepped down and work on hundreds of school projects was suspended. Only 59 projects, with a total budget of about $1.4 billion, were slated to be completed under a pared-down construction program adopted by the corporation last July. Yesterday, the task force reported that completing those projects will require at least another $400 million beyond the $8.6 billion lawmakers authorized for the school program five years ago. In addition, officials are reviewing 97 schools that have been designed to see which should be approved for further funding this fall. The state plans to seek money first for elementary schools and preschool programs that have been required by the state Supreme Court's Abbott vs. Burke funding orders, said Scott Weiner, acting transitional chief executive officer of the corporation and a member of the task force. David Sciarra, the attorney who has pressed the Abbott case on behalf of students in the 31 needy communities included in the court case, said he was glad to see a deadline established for seeking new funding for the stalled school program. "This report has set a firm, final date for finishing up the work of reform and for requesting new funding," he said. "We expect Governor Corzine will immediately follow through with a request so that stalled projects can be restarted." In their report, members of the task force said they also would seek legislation changing the way the corporation acquires land for school sites. Specifically, the group recommended adopting a policy that would impose a moratorium on local development approvals for property being considered as the site of a school. Such a policy, already in place for Department of Transportation projects, would prevent a repeat of episodes like one that unfolded in Union City, where the corporation is paying to demolish a new $1.5 million apartment building that sprang up on land targeted for use in an elementary school project. The task force also reported the corporation plans to sign an agreement later this month with the state inspector general to pay for two inspector general staffers who will be assigned to monitor the building program. Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper recommended the establishment of such oversight in a January report on the program. Last April, Cooper touched off sweeping reforms at the corporation with a review that uncovered widespread mismanagement that, she said, left the agency open to "fiscal malfeasance, conflicts of interest and waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars." Dunstan McNichol covers state government issues. He may be reached at dmcnichol@starledger.com or (609) 989-0341. © 2006 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.