Parents and taxpayers in Brigantine, Ventnor, Margate and Longport are watching and waiting.
The Downbeach-Atlantic City corridor could be a primary target for mandatory school consolidation?
Legislative mandate growing momentum: eliminate redundancies inherent in a system where school districts out number municipalities.
For Margate and Ventnor—communities with high property values—this could mean a significant increase in local school taxes to support larger regional student body, potentially subsidizing districts with lower tax bases?
Current, approx school enrollment:
- Margate (317)
- Brigantine (386)
- Ventnor (495)
These 3 towns are below NJ state’s 500-student efficiency threshold. It seems the pressure to merge is no longer a suggestion.
Residents fear that losing local boards will result in standardized curricula and larger class sizes, eroding the unique “boutique” educational experience that drives local real estate appeal.
School taxes comprise approx 52% of the statewide property tax burden. Second homeowners provide a massive portion of taxable valuation but lack voting rights to influence budgets they fund.
Mandatory NJ School Mergers
Bill S-4861 could signals an end to voluntary incentives, moving instead toward state-mandated action.
- The Bill targets districts with less than 500 resident students. Approx 1/3 of all New Jersey districts ( about 200 ) are at risk of forced consolidation.
- Executive County Superintendent—an appointed state official—serves as primary auditor and planner, tasked with drawing consolidation plans that bypass local board deliberation.
- DOE Dept of Education Commissioner holds final authority and is mandated to approve or modify plans within strict six-month window, creating rapid “closing window” for local opposition.
Future of Downbeach and Jersey Shore School Consolidation
Margate, Ventnor, Brigantine, Atlantic City.
AT ISSUE: Financial disparity between wealthy coastal towns like Margate and Brigantine, and the regional urban hub of Atlantic City run by LaQuetta Small, wife of the AC Mayor.
Ventnor’s enrollment has steadily declined over the last decade. In 2013, the district had 905 students; the drop to 495 represents a nearly 45% decrease in student population.
Governance and Oversight: Who will Hold the Reins?
Consolidation could effectively centralize authority under a single School Superintendent. The selection of leadership and design of district’s curriculum would be heavily influenced by the Executive County Superintendent.
Leslie White Coursey was Executive Atlantic County Superintendent of Schools. She retired DEC 2025. Replacement not yet announced.
White-Coursey was married to County Commissioner Ernest Coursey, who recently passed away. Ernest Coursey was Chief of Staff for Atlantic City Mayor, Marty Small.
Can Brigantine, Ventnor, margate and Longport Avoid Forced Consolidation?
- Brigantine, Ventnor and Margate could merge into one district?
- Voter-approval requirement, though non-voting 2nd homeowners would remain sidelined in such a ballot.
- Utilize state funds to study mergers, which must prove merger will not cause segregation.
Key Takeaway
- 1/3 of NJ districts (less than 500 students) face forced mergers under Bill S-4861.
Sources:
- NJBIA Report: “Are Mandatory School Consolidations Coming to NJ?” (Jan 2026)
- NorthJersey.com: “New Jersey’s 2026 Legislative Agenda for School Reform” (Ruiz/Gopal interviews)
- Wikipedia: “List of school districts in New Jersey” (Atlantic County district data)
- NJ Department of Education: Non-operating district records (2018-2026)
As of February 2026, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is in transition following the recent inauguration of Governor Mikie Sherrill.
Current Commissioner (Designee)
Lily Laux is the current Commissioner-designee for the New Jersey Department of Education.
Laux reportedly plans to modernize the school funding formula. For towns like Margate and Brigantine, this could mean a reduction in Adjustment Aid to incentivize them toward regionalization.
NJ bill that would mandate school mergers gets mixed …
Plan to require small districts to consolidate has some worried over local representation, while others tout financial, …
N.J. school district consolidation debated as budget …
N.J. has 600+ school districts. Lawmakers debate if many should merge as budget crisis looms.
Are Mandatory School Consolidations Coming to NJ?
New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Consolidation would allow for more efficient allocation of resources and personnel, more continuity in curriculum.
N.J. plan could force merger of hundreds of schools
A top New Jersey lawmaker has introduced legislation to consolidate many of the 600 school districts across the state.
Recently, both Marty and LaQuetta Small were found not-guilty of abusing their teen daughter. Also, the ACHS Principal, Constance Days-Chapman, allegedly did not comply with ‘mandatory reporter’ law. Days-Chapman has been Mayor Marty Small’s campaign manager.
In New Jersey, mandatory reporting within the school system is rigorous, covering not only child welfare but also harassment (HIB), student health, and professional misconduct.
Universal Child Abuse Reporting
New Jersey is a “Universal Reporting” state. Every school employee—from the superintendent to the part-time cafeteria worker—has a legal duty to report suspected abuse.
Immediate Notification: Reports must be made immediately to Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) via 24-hour hotline: 1-877-NJ ABUSE.
You must call as soon as you have reasonable cause to suspect abuse. Reporters acting in good faith have full civil and criminal immunity. Conversely, failure to report can lead to the loss of a teaching certificate.
Why would they put (LaQuetta) Small as the AC school superintendent? That district is in constant flux.
And apparently she hires her friends.
Why would anyone from these communities accept a decision like that when you have corrupt individuals running the City and School?
The Smalls! How much money are the two of them are extorting from the City and Atlantic City High School?
I would seriously consider sending my child to a private school before I would subject my child to the Smalls and friends!
Because you have nothing but allegations that have been made. Both Small and his wife were found not guilty at their separate trials.
We have a legal system, and one is innoncent until proven guilty – irrespective of whether you agree or not. I don’t like or trust them either but the law is the law – ands we are all welcome to send our kids to private or parochial schools.
If school districts merge, do our taxes reflect this?
Is there anyway this merger could be stymied by demanding the county re-assess our tax burden because of this?
If this gets tangled up in red tape, it could be less cost-effective for the state.
It is a complicated situation. On one hand, second-homeowners don’t like paying property taxes to fund the education of the small number of resident kids in the towns where they vacation.
But the reason for the shrinking enrollment is the second homeowners bidding up prices to ridiculous levels, and making the town unaffordable for normal families in the area.
So now the enrollment is under 500 because most young families are completely priced out of the towns. The towns have lost all their charm.
The normal family homes are being demolished and big ugly beach houses replace them, which sit empty 3/4 of the year.
There should be incentives to get permanent residents back in the towns, but local government is too short-sighted and wants the quick cash.
Want to stop or slow decline of full-time Ventnor residency? Maybe attract more year-round business?
#1: Stop encouraging tear-downs converted to multi-million $$ McMansions via tax abatements. Stop chasing away families.
Maybe Ventnor Mayor is OK with tear-downs because he designs and sells new kitchens and bathrooms at Colmar?
#2: Enforce short-term rental laws. Keep commercial operations out of residential neighborhoods. (airBnB).
#3: Stop spot-zoning.
#4: Allow ZOOM video of all Planning Board and Zoning meetings.
One reason for lack of families: they don’t want their children attending ACHS, Atlantic City High School.
About 33 students from Margate go to ACHS. The rest go to other schools under school choice. Longport is already out.
This article leaves out total enrollment figures and whether (MVB) Margate Ventnor Brigantine would be ‘sending districts’ with no vote, or each city would be considered a ‘sending district’.
Also left out: Whether due to the PILOT program, if casinos would be included in tax base or not.
Under current scenario, MVB (Margate Ventnor Brigantine) would have voting population of maybe 10,000 combined and AC 20,000.
MVB has total property valuation around $11 billion.
Assuming $30,000 per student tuition to ACHS, no voting representation and no Casino participation… continues with school choice. The impact is that lower grades would be consolidated K-8 with teachers and facilities into ACBOE.
Remaining families would have to decide if they want their children sent to an under-performing district, or leave.
Other scenarios are possible if MVB voters are included in the AC BOE (Atlantic City Board of Education) voter base.
At one end there is no change. At the other end (unlikely), the entire ACBOE could be reorganized to include combined administration, tax base and voting base.
Less than 25% of ACHS graduates can read, write or do basic math.
Another inconvenient truth: crime and violence on ACHS campus NOT included in total AC crime stats.
On 2 occasions, LaQuetta Small allegedly DID NOT adhere to mandatory reporter law. She supposedly allowed her creepy cousin (now in prison) to work in multiple AC elementary schools. See: Kayan Frazier.
Blending these school districts is the path to mediocracy in education. It lessens competition which is essential to move forward.
It also puts the power in the hands of political crews who control the largest population base. It’s a bad idea for the students, taxpayers and superior education.
It benefits mediocre educators (teachers, executives and school boards) and politicians.
What was the basis for this?
There are way too many municipalities and school districts in NJ. For example Pennsylvania has a larger area, larger population and less government, per capita. It’s not all apples to apples because NJ is more heavily developed although South Jersey has a lower density than North.
You can agree or disagree about home rule including what drives up taxes, public services or anything else such as gas prices, food or electricity. The bigger the entity the less accountability in general but the higher the cost of services, in general.
On the other hand it is obvious when kids are in failing districts or other services are not delivered. Again, the exact cause can still be debated.
If Atlantic City has more traffic that would translate into more wear and tear on the streets.
People who can leave will over time so they don’t have to put up with problems.
Another example is the shore. Construction is more expensive if you have to elevate or have continual risk of flooding.
For many reasons, EHT was expanding and had to build schools every other year while shore towns lost families. that also drove up school taxes off shore.
Once again, the crappy “Jersey Way”! More affluent areas and taxpayers are forced to underwrite union losers and drone residents (legal AND illegal) who contribute very little or NOTHING but expect everything. In this case, it’s the teachers union thugs and grifter teachers who have the worst results in every category of student academic performance in the WORLD except self-esteem. Thank God there are 49 other states you can escape to.
Eliminate Teachers Union Workers for our Children’s Future.
Education is a basis for our children to be able to grow to becoming responsibile adults.
Vet and hire professional teachers that want to teach “Reading”,
“Writing”, “Arithmetic” and not “Woke Nonsense”!
Consolidating these three towns schools just makes sense.
We are senior citizen, second-homeowners in Brigantine. Our modest home has been in our family since the 1960’s. We do not mind paying our fair share but taxes are very high and keep steadily rising.
Municipal employees have lucrative salaries and benefits far above many private sector workers.
We love Brigantine and hope to keep our home for our children and grandchildren. A common sense solution to this issue would be most appreciated.
This entire island plus Brigantine should be consolidated into one school district.
Atlantic City Board of Education pays Chapman Attorneys $388,000 for a case that never went to trial. Are these Board of Education reps educated at all? Even if the fee is $1,000 per hour, do they really believe the attorney put 388 billable hours on her case?
Did they ask for breakdown of that invoice? At $500 per hour, that would be over 750 hours on her case. Impossible.
All of a sudden Atlantic County Exec Dennis Levinson is a big fan of Marty Small.
As a retired DYFS worker, they might as well close down that agency if mandatory reporter means nothing anymore.
If child abuse is a personal family matter, then what are taxpayers paying Child Protection Services for?
Elite political class in Atlantic County. Rules for thee but not for me?
These legal billings are insane. zero questions , zero accountability.
What does Ventnor Board of Education President, Doug Biagi think about this?
(crickets)
From BreakingAC: Radio host Harry Hurley has switched from his once constant criticism of the Smalls to categorizing the prosecutor he once regularly praised as the big loser in this saga.