Murphy Cuts School Funding by $336 Million

Governor Phil Murphy announced school funding cuts in the amounts of $336 million due to the pandemic related revenue shortfall, northjersey.com reports.

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Asbury Park School’s proposed 22% tax hike will ‘force some people to lose their homes,’ taxpayers say

In its first telephonic meeting of the coronavirus outbreak, the Asbury Park Board of Education put off voting on a 2020-21 school budget that would raise taxes 22%, even before hearing residents’ warnings that such a steep hike amid the economic hard times wrought by the virus would drive some of them out of town.

The reason for the proposed $2 million increase in the amount to be raised through local property taxes is a $5 million cut in state aid to the district for the 2020-21 school year under a funding formula adopted three years ago, according to Asbury Park Superintendent of Schools Sanc… Read the rest of this entry »

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Sweeney again says state government could shut down without a deal on school funding

TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney on Monday said he plans to meet with Gov. Chris Christie this week on the state budget — a negotiating session that could deliver a small dose of school reform or a messy government shutdown. If Christie won’t play ball on a school funding deal Democratic leaders reached last week,… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie defends his school funding “Fairness Formula”

By Chris Christie For 61/2 years, I have been able to effectively ignore the liberal, fact-twisting rantings of The Star-Ledger editorial board. But the stakes of this debate on property taxes and urban education are too great to ignore the newspaper’s latest emotional screed against my Fairness Formula. On property taxes, our residents pay the highest… Read the rest of this entry »

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State senators get lesson in school overcrowding, underfunding in Freehold Borough

FREEHOLD BOROUGH – State Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senators M. Teresa Ruiz and Jennifer Beck visited Park Avenue Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon to promote the value of the district’s early childhood education program. The met with teachers and students, watched them read books and heard them sing songs. Then were told that the benefits… Read the rest of this entry »

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Overcrowding crisis: Should N.J overrule voters, approve $33M school expansion?

FREEHOLD — The sign that hangs above the door says “library.” But students at Park Avenue Elementary School don’t come here to check out books. The room has been overtaken, repurposed into seven miniature and makeshift classrooms partitioned only by thin, 6-foot temporary dividers. Students learning English as their second language sit between those dividers, meeting… Read the rest of this entry »

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Freehold Borough School Referendum December 9th

By Gianna Dell’Omo

Whether the Borough’s residents voted for or against the Board’s referendum, no one can deny that the overcrowding has been and remains an issue which requires  an acceptable solution.  The conflict arises as to whether the solution  should cost the Freehold Borough taxpayers close to $33 million.

A recent newspaper article read that 36 Borough pupils have been honored for earning a perfect score of 300 on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge testing.  Despite the lack of proper classroom space, the teachers and students have managed to overcome and excel, which should be commended.  The dedication of the staff and the willingness of the students to learn is,  in fact,  the true essence of an education.  No matter where the lesson is held, whether in a classroom, a gymnasium, in the corridor or under a tree in the courtyard, the core of education is in the connection made between the teacher and his pupil, not the venue.

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New School-Funding Case Turns Spotlight on State’s Rural Districts

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Arnone Announces School and Grow Monmouth Funding

Freeholder Director Tom Arone

By Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Last week the Christie Administration announced the approval of $507.7 million in state funds to help fund the cost of 1,538 individual school construction projects in 331 school districts throughout the state. Of the state funding $37.8 million will go to support 171 projects in 26 school districts in Monmouth County, supporting a total of $94.4 million in school construction throughout the county.

            Between state and local contributions, the total project costs of the 1,538 eligible projects are estimated to exceed $1.1 billion. The state-funded grants represent at least 40 percent of eligible costs for projects in the Regular Operating Districts and address health and safety issues, student overcrowding and other critical needs. The grants are contingent on local approval of the remaining cost to school districts. Regular Operating District grants are separate from the funding for the 31 “SDA districts,” where the Schools Development Authority is responsible for financing 100 percent of eligible costs.

            The Department of Education determines the selection of school projects receiving grant funds, which are administered by the Schools Development Authority. The State Department of Education received applications for more than 2,100 individual school projects.

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Christie’s Increased Suburban Education Funding Won’t Result In Immediate Property Tax Relief

By Art Gallagher

The $150 million in increased suburban education funding in Governor Christie’s budget came too late to impact most school budgets for the 2011-2012 school year, according to an article at NJSpotlight.

When the Christie administration announced the final state education funding figures last week they encouraged districts to use the money for property tax relief.  A follow up memo later in the week included a deadline of tomorrow if the districts wanted to include the extra money in the coming year’s tax levy.   To do so, school boards would have had to publish notices of special meetings on Thursday or Friday of last week and hold those meetings today or tomorrow. 

Most school districts will carry the money in surplus accounts in the coming year.

MMM does not refer to state money for suburban education as “aid” as that implies the money is not ours to begin with. “Funding” is a more accurate term.

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