Cape COMPACT School Future Dark, Districts to Keep Pupils, Save Tuition

CREST HAVEN – The future of Cape Educational COMPACT, an alternative educational program for Cape May County students in grades 9-12 who have been unsuccessful in a traditional setting, seems bleak. 
In March 2016, students told freeholders how important the school was to them, and sought to keep it open for others who, like themselves, could benefit from its low student-to-instructor ratio.
As Superintendent Barbara Makoski of the Special Services School District told the Board of School Estimate and freeholders March 28, enrollment is down, state grant funding ceased, and school districts’ superintendents have declined to pay increased tuition to keep it open.
“Although not part of the Board of School Estimate, and the general fund budget that I am presenting today, I need to inform you about Cape Educational COMPACT. COMPACT was started in 1994 with a grant from the state for $300,000, and Cape May County Special Services agreed to oversee the grant and program at that time,” Makoski said.
COMPACT’s budget and tuition are not a part of Special Services general fund budget.
She said that at the outset, the Special Services District agreed to oversee the grant and program to operate COMPACT.
“By 1998, when the state no longer provided grant funding, students from the local high schools were accepted on a tuition basis,” she continued.
COMPACT was never funded through resources allocated to special education.
“Over the years enrollment at COMPACT decreased, and therefore, revenue decreased, but salaries, health insurance and other benefits, supplies, transportation, etc. continued to increase.”
In 2007-08, the school’s average enrollment was 82 students.
Part of the school’s allure is a full-time case manager and social worker, low student to teacher ratio, and vocational classes where select students can earn a paycheck.
The decline in enrollment is not unique to COMPACT but is a trend throughout the county. Because of that, “The ability of local high schools to meet the needs of many of these students increased,” said Makoski.
At present, there are 25.5 “full-time equivalent” students in COMPACT.
Makoski said since 2015 that she had been in contact with all district superintendents, and the County Executive Superintendent Richard Stepura about the situation.
The deficit for this year is projected to be $220,000, said Makoski.
“After a year and a half of discussions, at our last meeting, I offered to keep the program open but with a tuition rate that was a true reflection of the cost. I also offered the option of having one of the four comprehensive high schools take over the program as they already have content area teachers on staff and could run the program at less cost.
“None of the comprehensive high schools was prepared to take over the program which, in September is anticipated to number 17 students after our 12th graders have graduated,” Makoski said.
She added that the schools that would have ninth through 11th graders attending COMPACT informed Stepura and her they would not pay increased tuition and “That they can and will meet the needs of their own students within their high schools.”