With the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget process now underway, securing increased funding for nonpublic schools-a challenging task in any year- has become even more difficult as the state faces a deficit exceeding $1 billion.
A new bill, which we are actively advocating for, aims to reform the way funding is allocated for nonpublic school auxiliary services, known as Chapter 192/193, in New Jersey. By streamlining the funding process, schools will be able to maximize their allocated resources without increasing state expenditures. This long-overdue adjustment will ensure that more children receive the educational support they need.
Since its inception in 1997, Chapter 192 funding has provided nonpublic school students with compensatory and remedial education services. However, outdated allocation methods have prevented schools from fully utilizing these funds. Currently, funding is based on data from two years prior, leading to inaccuracies, especially in rapidly growing communities like Lakewood, where student enrollment has increased dramatically year after year.
In 1998, the Legislature determined that providing these services required an appropriation of $995 per student, with a recommended 45-minute session twice a week. Over the past decade, that amount has increased only slightly, to $1,070 per student, despite rising wages and administrative costs. Today, $1,070 simply cannot provide what it once did. As a result, most students receive only 25 minutes of instruction per week-often in larger class sizes-or no services at all. This has significantly weakened the program’s effectiveness.
In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, $7.49 million of the allocated $55.52 million-roughly 13% of available funds-went unused, primarily because there were not enough funds to hire teachers.
The proposed bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Avi Schnall in the New Jersey State Assembly, introduces three key reforms to ensure funds are used effectively:
1. Funding Based on Actual Services: Schools will receive funding based on the services they actually provide rather than outdated projections. This will prevent both over- allocations that lead to returned funds and under-allocations that shortchange students.
2. Use of Current Student Data: The system will rely on the most up-to-date student numbers, eliminating reliance on outdated enrollment figures.
3. Full Utilization of Funds: The Commissioner of Education will be required to ensure that all allocated funds are used within the school year, with adjustments made to maximize per-student service amounts.
By addressing these inefficiencies, schools will be able to provide more instructional time per student, reduce class sizes, and enhance the quality of education-all without additional cost to the state. If passed, this bill will significantly improve the funding mechanism for auxiliary services, enabling schools to serve more students effectively. With no extra burden on taxpayers, this is a win-win-win for schools, students, and the state alike.