For decades now we’ve been raising the alarm about the state of education in Cape May County. Former Editor Joe Zelnik fought passionately to end the ignominy of being the only county in New Jersey without a community college, and when it finally did end, many credited him as a key reason.
More recently, our own Vince Conti has been chronicling and analyzing the major downward trends in K-12 education. Unfortunately, the situation in the county remains dire, with both state funding and education outcomes in a tailspin.
School funding has been an issue for years in Cape May County. In 2018, New Jersey began a seven-year step-down of what was known as adjustment funding, leading to an accumulated loss of more than $25 million in state aid to county public school districts.
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More of our schools fail to meet performance levels in math and English than those that meet them.
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Enrollment has also declined, along with the number of school-age children in the county. Just 25 years ago, the county’s under-18 population was almost 23,000. Today, it is just over 15,000. During the same period, the median age of the county rose from 42 to more than 57.
Of course, we all know hardworking teachers and staff who care deeply and work tirelessly to deliver a sound education. Yes, the pandemic contributed to significant learning loss. But the available objective measures of performance do not tell a pretty picture. More of our schools fail to meet standards in math and English than those that meet them.
This is not the place to delve into international rankings of U.S. schools. But it is the place to examine how our county’s 16 operating school districts measure against state averages. The answer, unfortunately, is that they do not measure up well. Ten of the operating districts score below state standards in both math and English language arts. Looking only at the county’s five public high schools, all but Ocean City High School fall well below state standards in both areas. No district in the county, even those that meet state standards, exceeds them.
The problem was no doubt made worse by lost classroom time during the pandemic. But, if we are frank, performance was no better before the county’s first COVID case was identified in 2020.
Yes, the responsibility for poor educational performance goes beyond the schools themselves. Parents have a duty to ensure their children actually attend school. Absentee rates in many districts are unacceptable. At one county high school, state data show that more than one in four students miss 10% or more of their classes.
Meanwhile, taxpayers shoulder an enormous burden. County property owners pay more than $200 million annually in school taxes, along with the $40 million a year in state support that funds 29 schools across 16 districts.
And the financial burden is only growing. As funding from other sources declines or stagnates, taxpayers are expected to pick up the slack. Recall the state stepping in to increase the school tax levy in Dennis Township after voters had twice refused to do so.
Studies in recent years have examined school consolidation, offering recommendations that would increase efficiencies and expand programs smaller schools cannot afford to provide. But these studies have not resulted in any change, nor have they produced a willingness among superintendents and school boards to formally involve county stakeholders in the discussion.
We all want our children to receive a sound education. We want young people prepared for college or good jobs in the workforce. We want employers to be satisfied with the quality of graduates our schools produce. We want this county to be a place where young families choose to settle. And we want a workforce capable of diversifying our economy.
None of that can happen if we cling to nostalgia. Share stories of your school days in Cape May County at the family table, but don’t let them prevent you from supporting necessary reforms – even if that means losing the school you once attended.
We need leadership in our school systems that is committed to more than the status quo. We must no longer accept mediocre performance with the excuse that this is the best Cape May County can do. It is no longer acceptable for our county and municipal officials to stand back as our schools fail to improve. Arguments about jurisdictional boundaries do not suffice. True leadership finds a way.
This is an issue we must face together, as a county. It demands broad public involvement in creating a new vision and a realistic plan to achieve it. If school boards and state officials are unwilling to lead, county leaders must step up and organize a public process that will.
The hurdles are significant – financial, political and cultural. But the stakes are greater. The future of Cape May County depends on whether we can deliver an education system that prepares our young people for success. That will not happen without bold change led by the county commissioners, the only group with a sphere of action large enough in scope to facilitate change across districts.
It is time to stop excusing failure. It is time to stop protecting outdated structures. And it is time to start demanding schools that truly serve our children, our families and our future.
