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Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs
Building Knowledge for Policy and Practice in Southern New Jersey
Community initiatives, partnerships, coalitions, development
In April 2020, WRI released a report written by Faculty Fellow Michael Hayes examining the 25 largest South Jersey school districts’ financial status and vulnerability to financial recession. This follow up brief examines the financial status of all 179 school districts in southern New Jersey.
In partnership with the Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ), WRI is evaluating the efficacy and impact of various health and wellness education programs that the organization coordinates throughout the region. The project is slated for completion in March 2021.
WRI is partnering with the NJ YMCA State Alliance (NJYSA) to better understand the perspectives of young people and stakeholders about building youth civic engagement in their communities through focus groups and interviews conducted with youth, young adults, and stakeholders. NJYSA initiated this project to learn more about how it could improve service delivery and increase civic engagement among young people.
Why is mortality so high in some counties compared to other counties? Is it because of long term care facilities? Population age? Pre-existing conditions? Proximity to big cities? Or is it related to community-level factors, like poverty, race and ethnicity, or community cohesion? A new study led by WRI Faculty Director Sarah Allred and Emily Greenfield, an associate professor of social work at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, will seek to understand these patterns, not just at the county level, but also at the municipality level.
Every two years, counties are required by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) to study community needs and evaluate current services using both a quantitative and qualitative approach. This year, WRI is partnering with the Human Services Advisory Councils (HSAC) in Burlington and Salem Counties to assess the strength of current services for children and families and identify local needs.
To help the state distribute cuts fairly, and to help school districts plan for the future, it is vital that state and local policymakers in South Jersey are aware of the most financially vulnerable school districts in the region. This study provides actionable and pertinent school district funding information.