New Jersey’s public schools consistently rank among the best in the nation. But there’s a hidden price tag for that excellence: the state’s notoriously high property taxes, the highest in America. One of the biggest drivers of those taxes isn’t classroom costs or teacher salaries; it’s bureaucracy.
With 590 school districts across just 21 counties, New Jersey is paying for a bloated administrative structure that no longer makes sense. If we want meaningful relief for taxpayers without sacrificing educational quality, consolidating to county-wide school districts is the smart solution.
Every town seems to have its own superintendent, business administrator, payroll system, legal counsel and many other redundant positions in central administration. Multiply that hundreds of times, and the waste becomes staggering. Taxpayers are footing the bill for layers of overhead that do nothing to improve student learning.
By shifting to county-based districts, New Jersey could cut duplicative positions, centralize purchasing and streamline operations. The savings would translate into fewer tax dollars demanded from already overburdened homeowners.
Other states have already proven the model works. Maryland, with a population slightly larger than New Jersey’s, educates its students through just 24 countywide districts. Florida, with more than twice our population, manages with only 67. Neither state suffers from weaker schools as a result.
Whatever one’s opinion of these states’ education policies, it’s difficult to deny that their systems run more efficiently than New Jersey’s and enable them to channel more funding into classrooms, teachers and student support, as well as keeping school taxes relatively low.
Opponents argue that small districts allow for more “local control.” But let’s be honest: What most taxpayers care about is results and affordability. Streamlined governance doesn’t mean parents lose a voice; it means their dollars stop being wasted on redundant bureaucracies. Local advisory boards, PTAs and school councils can still give families influence over school culture while freeing county-level leadership to focus on big-picture efficiency.
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In 2020, Salem County took a bold step by commissioning a school consolidation study to explore the benefits of moving toward a countywide district model. The study recognized that Salem, the state’s least populous county, faced declining enrollment, rising costs and inequities between its small, fragmented districts. Consolidation offers a path to greater efficiency by streamlining administrative expenses, reducing duplication of services and directing more resources to classrooms rather than overhead.
One slate of candidates in Ocean City says politics has no place in school board elections. The other is aligned with Jack Ciattarelli for governor and Moms for Liberty.
Beyond cost savings, a unified district would provide students broader access to advanced courses, extracurricular activities and specialized support programs that many individual districts cannot afford on their own. Taxpayers benefit from a fairer, more efficient system, while families gain from expanded educational opportunities. The Salem County study laid the groundwork for a smarter, more equitable approach to public education and created a model for the rest of New Jersey.
Property tax bills have become unbearable for many families, forcing retirees out of their homes and discouraging young families from settling here. We cannot keep asking residents to pay more and more into a system that insists on maintaining 590 separate silos. County-wide districts offer a clear path to structural savings and lasting relief.
Consolidating school districts into a countywide system would immediately generate cost savings by leveraging collective buying power. Instead of each district negotiating separate contracts for textbooks, technology, supplies and transportation, a unified district can purchase in bulk, securing lower per-unit prices and better vendor terms.
This approach eliminates redundant administrative costs and reduces overhead, while ensuring equitable access to resources across all schools. Shared services, from food programs to maintenance contracts, would further stretch taxpayer dollars. By centralizing purchasing, districts can redirect millions in savings back into classrooms, directly benefiting students while easing the financial burden on local taxpayers.
New Jersey’s taxpayers are generous, but their generosity has limits. Consolidating to county-based school districts would honor their investment by eliminating waste, reducing property tax pressures and ensuring every dollar spent on education works harder for students.
It’s time for Trenton to put taxpayers first and modernize our schools’ governance. After all, efficiency isn’t just good economics; it’s good government.
Matthew Carey is the superintendent of Mercer County Technical Schools and has over 25 years’ experience in New Jersey public schools.