Longport looking to send students to OCHS

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 December 2011 16:38 Written by Ann Richardson Tuesday, 06 December 2011 16:11

OCEAN CITY — Could Longport’s high school students soon be headed to Ocean City?

Last week the Longport Board of Education revealed the findings of a feasibility study commissioned several months ago to explore the possibility of creating a send/receive relationship with Ocean City.

The study, prepared by Centennium Consultants, LLC determined that there would be “no substantial negative impact” in three critical areas: financial, racial and educational to any of the three communities involved, Longport, Atlantic City and Ocean City.

Longport students presently attend Atlantic City High School.

At a Dec. 1 Longport school board meeting, board members invited public comment concerning the possibly of severing the long-time relationship with Atlantic City in favor of formalizing a new one with Ocean City or the potential of offering students the choice of attending either school.

The feasibility study is the first step towards heading in this direction, but establishing a new send/receive relationship with Ocean City would require establishing a formal agreement with Ocean City, as well. The Longport school board has yet to officially contact Ocean City officials.

“We have not received a formal request,” Ocean City Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor said. “We have not heard from the Longport School District concerning the results of the feasibility study.”

Taylor said Longport officials contacted Ocean City school board solicitor Mike Stanton last spring. Board officials informed Stanton that they had hired someone to perform the study.

“There are definite procedures that must be followed,” Taylor said. “The Ocean City Board of Education, if approached, would have to make a decision.”

Meanwhile, Longport Business Administrator Jan Cohen said Longport is moving forward.

“The first step was the feasibility study, and they met the criteria,” Cohen said. “There would not be any detrimental effect to any of the districts.

“It’s really just a matter of the Longport Board of Education deciding what to do,” she said.

The Dec. 1 meeting was mostly informational, “fact finding,” Cohen said.

Most parents spoke in favor of establishing ties with Ocean City, she said. A few expressed concern about cutting ties with Atlantic City as some students may find Atlantic City’s programs more to their liking.

“So, what the board would like to do is see if the state would approve that Longport establish a send/receive relationship with both districts,” she said.

Since students in any district always have the option of attending a non-public school, Cohen said she did not feel that it offering a choice would inconvenience either district.

“You never know for sure how many students are coming, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” she said.

While only nine students attend public high school in Atlantic City, there are more than a dozen attending St. Augustine Prep and Holy Spirit High School. Conceivably, some of these students may choose to attend Ocean City if the send/receive relationship were approved.

New Jersey Department of Education regulations require that the sending district, Longport, formally request that the send/receive relationship be severed. Atlantic City would have to approve this; if they do not, Longport would have to ask the Commissioner of Education for permission to cut the ties.

Taylor said she could not comment on the option of permitting students to choose between Vikings and Red Raiders because Ocean City’s school board had not been asked to consider any send/receive option.

The Longport Board of Education is scheduled to meet again on Monday, Dec.12 concerning the issue.

“I believe the board will make a decision,” Cohen said. “Board members decided that this was a very important decision, affecting the students and parents. It affects everyone in Longport.”

Cohen said taxpayers would not feel much of an impact as there are only nine students to be concerned with. Atlantic City tuition runs about $22,000; Ocean City’s tuition is about $17,000 per student, a $5,000 difference.

The Ocean City school district is one of 71 New Jersey schools participating in the state’s Inter-district Public School Choice program. This year, 13 students from other districts attended Ocean City schools; Ocean City will expand the program for the 2011-2012 school year.

Longport students were permitted to apply for Ocean City’s school choice program.