The D.O.E. has ordered Executive County Superintendents to file reports by March 2010 on consolidation of school districts, and word is leaking out that the emphasis will be on the more palatable sharing of services, rather than outright elimination of non-efficient districts. Corzine’s Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization and Consolidation Commission, or LUARCC, which must file reports on consolidating municipalities, seems to be on a similar trajectory. The Trenton Times reports today that while a merger of Hightstown and East Windsor in Mercer County, for example, would yield lower taxes, at least in Highstown, the recent report from LUARCC is takes the wind out of the sails of consolidation enthusiasts. The Times quotes the LUARCC report:

The literature suggests caution in drawing simple conclusions about the cost-efficiencies to be gained through consolidation.

However,

There is ample evidence that service sharing saves municipalities hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars a year …” providing strong incentives to towns looking to cut costs and balance their budgets.

That tagline urging caution is likely to be the conclusion of many of the ECS’s recommendations: go with the safe, non-controversial sharing of services rather than the panic-inducing consolidation of existing districts. Why not? It will make everyone feel good and who can argue with, say, sharing purchasing or a bit of professional development, or even some special education transportation routes?

Here’s the problem: most districts do this already. They don’t need a governor-appointee to tell them that it’s cheaper to buy paper or toner cartridges in bulk, or that two neighboring districts can share a long trek to a private special education school for a couple of kids. Are municipalities so clueless that they’re not doing this already? Or are the reports from LUARCC and the ECS’s equally condescending and meaningless?

Sharing services is easy. Getting districts — or municipalities — to give up local control is hard, but that’s where the real savings are if the Legislature does it right and allows for a mechanism to even out tax rates. But right now it’s not clear that Corzine has the political will to push either consolidation of municipalities or school districts.

If Corzine is disappointed by the lack of support for his plan to reduce the number of towns in N.J. – there’s 566 of them, and a third house under 5,000 people – Lucille Davy is likely to be equally disappointed by the E.C.S. reports, which will probably recommend sharing of services rather than consolidation. There’s even some blowback from our 25 non-operating school districts. If we can’t get rid of those, then we might as well just throw in the towel right now.