The bill (S-3732) allows school districts that will see a reduction in school aid in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to request an additional amount of aid equal to 66 percent of the difference between the amount they received in the 2022-2023 school year and the amount of aid currently proposed for the 2023-2024 school year. All eligible districts that submit a request to the Commissioner of Education will receive this additional funding, and must include a written plan indicating how they intend to fund operations in future years when this aid is no longer available.
“My Administration remains committed to providing New Jersey students with a world-class education, which is why we continue to dedicate historic levels of aid for our schools in each year’s budget,” said Governor Murphy. “As we work towards ensuring equitable access to the high-quality education every student deserves, this supplemental funding will support districts in adjusting to changes in aid under our state’s school funding formula. I thank our legislative partners for their collaboration in reaching this agreement on behalf of educators, students, and their communities in the upcoming school year.”
“I thank Governor Murphy for being consistently responsive to situations of each New Jersey local educational agency,” said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, Acting Commissioner of Education. “As we continue to navigate the impact of our school funding structure, and in light of unique circumstances, the over $100 million in supplemental funding will provide an additional layer of stability this year, and continues to demonstrate the administration’s responsiveness to every New Jersey student.”
“Our schools have come under tremendous pressures over the past three years due to the pandemic, ranging from uncertainty about resources, learning recovery and a growing teacher shortage. Now is not the time for more uncertainty, nor the time for districts to be asked to do with less at the precise moment they are trying to recover some sense of normalcy,” said Senator Gopal. “This restoration of funding will ease some of those pressures, smooth out remaining transitions, and help districts set course on a bolder, brighter future.”
Amidst all the Legislative cheering and patting each other on the back for a job well done, take note that the proposed bill leaves a lot to be desired.
Under the proposed bill, districts who request additional funding “must include a written plan indicating how they intend to fund operations in future years when this aid is no longer available.”
This undermines the entire awesomeness of the legislation as districts who need this additional funding due to a reduction in school aid will also need additional funding once this “extra funding” is no longer available.
Ergo, they will not be to indicate “how they intend to fund operations in future years when this aid is no longer available.”