School construction projects advance in New Jersey

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday the state will move ahead with new school construction.

He said the Schools Development Authority will use a standardized selection process to determine which new projects are approved. The SDA has jurisdiction over 31 of the state’s poorest districts.

Christie said it will prioritize new school construction on the basis of merit.

Christie said using a standardized design for the construction of new schools will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

“We’re going to be committed to doing these things, but we’re not going to be wasting money any more,” said Christie. “We’re not going to permit the taxpayers’ money, untold hundred millions of dollars that have been wasted over time on inefficiency, on politics, to be the rule any longer.”

The governor recommends spending $584 million for the construction or renovation of 10 public schools, most of them in urban districts. Construction on two of the schools, a high school in Elizabeth and an elementary school in Long Branch, could begin this year.