The Biggest Losers - School Districts Lose Funding
Schools Making Hard Choices
Trenton: Schools are struggling so Let’s Cut State Funding
Trenton has caused a massive slash to many schools creating devastating budget cuts that will impact 137 school districts in the 2024/2025 school year. District leaders pinpoint the root cause of the financial crisis as a state funding formula known as S-2, which has been reallocated money since 2018. This “formula” seems to arbitrarily increase some district’s funding and decrease others. Many districts have lost money every year since its implementation.
Next year, 578 school districts are allocated a total of $11.66 billion dollars. However, a significant portion of this funding, approximately $5.9 billion dollars, is concentrated in just 21 schools. This means that 50% of the funding is allocated to only 4% of the schools. These 21 schools do not contain nowhere near 50% of the children in this entire state. This is NOT a fair distribution of resources across all districts.
Districts who are the biggest losers are now trying to adjust to this massive loss of funding by cutting staff, after schools programs, and even transportation. These cuts have hit the suburbs hard, affecting vital programs and resources for our children’s education.
Tom’s River School District (Ocean County)
Toms River, still licking its wounds from the loss of $14.4 million (31.8%) in the 2023/2024 school year, now sees an additional additional $2.8 million dollar cut for the 2024/2025 school year. This school district has been losing money since the 2017/2018 school year where it saw more than half of its budget ($40 million) disappear. Governor Murphy callously suggests the district to go the extreme route and close schools and get rid of teachers, increasing the class size. These yearly consecutive cuts have been so devastating to the school district that they are engaged in a lawsuit with the state.
Lenape Regional (Burlington County)
Lenape Regional lost $4.7 Million (19.8 %) for next year and the total funding cut over time is $18.8 Million. LRHSD Superintendent Dr. Carol Birnbohm even went to budget hearing in Trenton with some very active students to reveal the devastating effects that the proposed cut in State Funding would have on LRHSD. This unprecedented reduction in State Aid in one year will inevitably impact programs and staffing.
The proposed remedy to this problem offered by the district is a General Fund Tax Levy increase of 2.08% and no Debt Service Tax Levy increase, see link for details.
Lacey School District (Ocean County)
Lacey who has also suffered consecutive budgets has lost a $3.2 Million (30.6%) for the upcoming school year.
Washington Twp (Gloucester County)
Like other districts, Washington Township suffered with losses over time that amounted to $9 Million dollars since the 2015/2016 school year. With contractual salary increases, rising health benefits, and substantial out-of-district tuition costs, the district has no other choice than to make drastic reduction in staff.
It makes one wonder where the NJEA is for the advocacy of these positions?
Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park and Neptune districts (Monmouth County)
The towns in Vin Gopal’s district will take a devastating hit in funding for the 2024/2025 school year. All of these schools lost a total in $16 Million dollars in state aid. The funding formula that caused this mess is being questioned by the district representatives.
Cherry Hill (Camden County)
Cherry Hill lost $6.7 dollars in state aid but is waiting to see what legislative solutions that the State Senate will have before it makes any budget decisions for next year.
Trenton’s Solution: RAISE TAXES
Bill A4161 was passed in the assembly (52-20 margin) to remove the need for voter approval for districts that had a decrease in state aid at any time over the past 5 years. Which is most districts in the suburbs of NJ. School property can now be raised 9.9% without a public vote. This is a pretty horrifying solution to taxpayers since we are already are named the state with the highest property taxes.
What can you do?
If your schools are one of the 137 schools this year that had massive budget cuts for next year, you need to make your voice heard directly. Call and email Governor Murphy. Express your concerns about the budget cuts in your school, the impact on our children’s education, and the need for fair distribution of resources. Every call and email counts.
Contact Governor Phil Murphy:
· Email: governor@gov.nj
· Phone: (609) 292-6000
Together, we can advocate for our children’s future and stand united to ensure that each district receives the support it needs and deserves.
They keep reminding us all that "equity" is what is important through all the DEI and CRT programs but they don't follow through what they preach. The plan is not equal, it is not equitable, it is not equality. It is discriminating against the communities that need the money the most. Murphy is an elitist and only out to satisfy his PAC's. It is all about the rich getting richer and lining his own pockets. He could give two shits about any student in any school.
After paying for the trans curricula, race hustlers, Marxist librarians, classroom porn, mentally challenged teachers, and pandering politicians, is there nothing left in the $11.66 billion to afford a decent hairpiece for Governor Murphy? The poor guy is alternating among a glued-on carpet remnant, Rt 295 roadkill, and his pet ferret. How can his presidential aspirations possibly hold up against the well-coiffed Governor Newsom? Can’t the NJEA and their school board lackeys chip in and do better to help our beloved governor?