A new, broad-based coalition has been formed to advocate for restarting the State school construction program throughout New Jersey. The coalition – Building our Children’s Future – was announced at a March 7th press conference at the State House in Trenton.

BOCF is comprised of local and statewide groups and organizations representing parents, educators, construction firms, labor unions, ministers and advocates. The organizations have united behind their commitment to ensuring the State follows through on its legal and moral responsibility to provide school children with facilities that are safe, not overcrowded, and educationally adequate to deliver high quality programs.

Leaders of the coalition speaking at the press conference included Phillip Beacham, President, Alliance for Action; Cathie Sousa, NJ School Boards Association; Lynne Strickland, Garden State Coalition for Schools; Kenneth Zimmerman, NJ Institute for Social Justice; and David Sciarra, Education Law Center. In attendance were representatives of the NJ League of Women Voters, the Statewide Education Organizing Committee, NJ School Administrators Association, the New Jersey Education Association, the NJ Regional Chapter of Carpenters, the Building Contractors Association, and the NJ Principals and Supervisors Association.

The speakers stressed the importance of restarting the school construction program promptly in order to improve educational opportunities for children; to energize the state’s economy and jump-start urban revitalization; and to continue to provide property tax relief.

For more information on BOCF, contact:
Tom DiGangi, BCA, tdigangi@bcanj.com
Kevin McCabe, NJC, kmccabe@njcarpenters.org
Joan Ponessa at ELC, jponessa@edlawcenter.org

Prepared: March 8, 2006

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