NJ Has Outstanding Public Schools!
Our students’ performance consistently ranks first or second nationally. [1] Our public schools draw people to New Jersey and are critical for maintaining the state’s economy and property values. Yet our excellent public schools are under an attack that will destroy them unless parents and other concerned residents speak up.
Assault on New Jersey’s Public Schools Part I – Fiscal Starvation
- Our public schools were underfunded by more than $3.6 billion between fiscal year 2010 and 2013:
- In February 2010, the State confiscated $476 million that school districts had set aside for necessary capital improvements[2]
- The fiscal year 2011 State Budget underfunded public education by $1.6 billion
- The fiscal year 2012 State Budget underfunded public education by $855 million
- The fiscal year 2013 State Budget underfunds public education by more than $750 million
School districts across the state have been forced to lay off teachers and dramatically increase class sizes; eliminate art, music, language, full-day kindergarten and extracurricular programs; and cut the transportation necessary to ensure our children’s safety.[4]
Assault on New Jersey’s Public Schools Part II – Eroding Local Control
In addition to being starved financially, the schools are facing an onslaught of legislative and executive actions that take away local control and further limit the funds available for public education, including
- Charter school expansion that ignores local voter preferences
- Siphoning off of limited public funds for private and religious school vouchers
What You Can Do to Protect New Jersey’s Public Schools
Sign up to receive critical action alerts and encourage your friends to sign up. We are more than 9,500 strong and growing. The more members we have, the better we can ensure that every child in New Jersey has access to a high quality public school education.
