Thank you!
As a result of your efforts, the New Jersey Legislature protected our school funding formula!
This is a major victory that was only possible because of your emails, calls and letters to Legislators!
Our work is not done. Due to shortfalls in the State’s tax revenues, the Legislature did not fully fund the formula, leaving 97% of school districts across the State underfunded by a total of more than $750 million next year.
We will continue fighting for full funding for every child. We also will keep you informed about what is happening in Trenton and how you can take action.
Background on the New Jersey School Funding Formula
New Jersey public schools are funded with a combination of local property taxes and State aid based on income taxes. How much individual districts receive in State aid is based on a formula that factors in the needs of individual children, regardless of where they live. The current school funding formula provides additional funding for children who are very poor, have limited English proficiency, or have special needs, because each of these groups is more expensive to educate.
Between 2010 and 2012, the State underfunded its portion of public school funding by almost $3 billion, requiring communities to raise local property taxes to make up the difference and leaving those districts that did not have the ability to raise property taxes with insufficient resources to educate their children.
Governor Christie’s FY 2013 State Budget proposed to continue dramatically underfunding our public schools, shortchanging 95% of all school districts by more than $2.5 billion over the next 5 years.
The Governor’s FY 2013 State Budget also proposed to change the school funding formula by reducing funding for children who are very poor and/or have limited English proficiency, a population that is growing in all parts of our State.
Save Our Schools NJ members, along with the rest of the Our Children/Our Schools coalition, asked the Legislature to approve a State Budget that funds New Jersey’s public schools as required by the funding formula and rejects the proposed changes to that formula, which would hurt the neediest children in every community. The Legislature responded to these requests by removing the Governor’s proposed changes to the current School funding formula from their proposed budget and the Governor signed the Budget into effect.
