School of Conservation faces financial challenge

Located on 240 acres of open space in Stokes State Forest, the New Jersey School of Conservation has taught teachers and students about environmentalism and conservation for decades.

However, if the politicians in Trenton don’t increase its funding in the proposed fiscal year 2025 state budget, the school will be forced to shut down many of its educational programs, school officials said.

Kerry Kirk Pflugh, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation, said the school requested $3 million from the state to employ a full staff and make repairs to the school’s infrastructure.

However, the state budget, which is due to be signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on June 30, currently allocates just $800,000 for the school.

“What we see in Trenton right now is across-the-board cuts, and we understand we are in a difficult budget cycle, but $800,000 is not enough to do the restoration work of these buildings that have been underfunded for decades” she said.

“Roofs need to be replaced; electrical systems and plumbing need to be upgraded; buildings need to be up to code. When students stay over, we need personnel on hand to able to serve meals, have a cleaning service and administrative support. So to operate a 240-acre, 57 building facility, it takes money and personnel and that is what the needed $3 million would go to.”

The School of Conservation opened in 1949.

“Since the ’70s, we have really focused on elementary school students, grades 4 through 6, to come out and have an environmental experience,” Pflugh said. “They learn about natural resources, conservation, environmental education and today we offer programs in climate change. The school also hosts students from urban areas who rarely get to experience a natural environment.”

The buildings date to the 1930s, when they were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps for conservation purposes as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s jobs program during the Great Depression, she said.

With the June 30 budget deadline looming, Pflugh and her colleagues are lobbying elected officials to increase funding.

“Unless we get the state funding we need, we will likely lack the personnel to operate our educational programs, never mind the repairs that are sorely needed,” she said. “We are reaching out to elected officials on both sides of the aisle throughout the state for help. We do get donations, but it is not enough.”

Montclair State University ran the school from 1981 until 2021. In October 2022, the governor signed legislation assigning the Friends of the New Jersey School of Conservation as managers of the school.

“That October 2022 legislation passed with unanimous bipartisan support and any budget resolutions were also passed unanimously, it was incredible,” Pflugh said. “We are working with legislative leaders on both sides and had a legislative briefing where we explained why we are asking for what we are asking for. I testified at the Senate Budget Committee hearing. We are planning a legislative day to bring out legislators to see and understand better the needs of the school.”

While support has been bipartisan, the school’s two major champions in the Legislature, state Sens. John McKeon and Bob Smith, are Democrats from outside Sussex County. Pflugh and her colleagues are in touch with officials from Sussex County who have expressed support, she said

A separate issue is figuring out how much it will cost to repair an earthen dam on school property that was damaged in a rainstorm several years ago.

“We are optimistic and working as hard as we can,” Pflugh said.