JACKSON – Twelfth District Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Rob Clifton are demanding answers and school-funding reform after the Education Department released state aid numbers that showed Jackson and Old Bridge school districts losing nearly $7 million next year.
Sauickie said, “I need one of you to explain to me how this administration and the Department of Education can say they have fully funded the education formula when these numbers show another overall decrease to the school districts in Legislative District 12.”
Sauickie (R-Ocean) responded in an email to the education department’s Acting Commissioner Kevin Dehmer and his staff. The assemblymen’s legislative district includes 16 school districts.
Five of the 16 districts are either being cut or held flat and overall funding is down almost $1.2 million compared to last year. Jackson’s aid will be reduced by $4.5 million and Old Bridge will lose $2.5 million.
“Jackson Township’s cut is on top of the $18 million in cuts that the district has endured over the past six years, resulting in more than 200 positions being eliminated, 30 students per class, and ending programs and sports.
Even more, that school district, as a result of these previous cuts, for the first time in its history, had to borrow more than $10 million from the state,” Sauickie said. “It’s hard to fathom what your justification could be to cut this district’s funding even further.”
Assemblyman Rob Clifton said the school funding measure enacted in 2018 promised a fairer distribution of public-school aid, but hundreds of school districts have suffered year-after-year cuts as a result of the law.
Despite repeated requests from local government officials and advocacy groups for specifics on how the formula is used to determine aid, they haven’t been shared.
“Our schools and most importantly, our students, deserve a more predictable and equitable funding formula. It is impossible for a school district to prepare for the type of devastating cuts this administration has delivered. This failed formula is hurting our kids, because they are losing teachers, programs, extracurricular activities, sports and educational opportunities afforded to other children that disproportionately benefit,” Clifton said.
Funding for Jackson Township schools is down 16% year-over-year, despite increasing private school transportation cost obligations and a growing number of students speaking English as a second language. It is the fourth-largest cut in the state by dollar amount. There are 140 school districts across the state losing funding.
“For the administration to brag about historic education funding while our schools face even more cuts just adds insult to injury and underscores the importance of structural school funding reform. This administration held a press conference at a district getting $30 million more in funding while acting like the other 140 districts don’t exist. It is unacceptable,” Sauickie and Clifton said.
“We’ll continue to be our districts’ voice in Trenton and fight for fully funded schools for all New Jersey’s children,” he added.
Jackson Board of Education President Giuseppe Palmeri is also upset with the reductions. He spoke during last week’s council meeting about the issue and noted that aid for K-12 has been reduced by $4,459,769, “well beyond the final cut of S-2 (which was supposed to be around $800,000). The aid numbers for the areas of Special Education, Transportation and Security have again remained the same as they have for the past seven years.”
“If these areas were to be funded based on our actual enrollment they would be as follows:
Special Education Aid – $7,760,078 but the school district received $5,211,500
Transportation Aid – $7,735,206 instead of $601,355.
Security Aid – $1882,669 but the district received $854,977
“While the BOE has a responsibility to address challenges, we also firmly believe in highlighting the success of our district and believe this is even more important during challenging times. The Jackson School District operates with utmost fiscal responsibility. This was supported through internal and external audits and as a Board, we take pride in that. However, we can’t ignore the undeniable revenue limitations and financial concerns we are battling.”
Palmeri noted that “over the past six years the Jackson School district has received a deduction of $18 million in State funded aid; in the infamous S-2 funding formula cuts. Additionally, the State froze the district budget in areas such as security, multi-language learning services, and transportation. During this time frame, over 215 staff positions, numerous student programs including some sports have been abolished.”
He added, “the negative repercussions include high student class size, less student enrichment programs, the collapse of many sports programs for our high school students, and an inability to maintain facilities throughout the district.”
“Last budget year, with support from the Ocean County Superintendent, the district concluded that no more additional programs and staff could be cut. Therefore, in an effort to balance the budget given the continued state aid cuts and in conjunction to extraordinary increases to our non-public transportation costs that are beyond our budgeting capacities, we opted to apply for a State Loan to make ends meet. Thankfully, as this council is aware, and we thank you for your support and advocacy our excellent school administration completed grant fund paperwork and received $2.1M in relief funding for this school year ONLY, which will be taken off of the initial loan amount requested,” he said.
“I’m tremendously frustrated and appalled by the blatant disregard the New Jersey Department of Education has for the Jackson School District,” Palmeri said. “Our students consistently demonstrate remarkable resilience despite the austerity that has impacted our district,” the Board President added.
Palmeri said, “the Jackson School District continues to have high graduation rates, competitive sports programs, amazing arts and theater programs, award winning bands and academies that are teaching real-world skills. All of this in an effort to prepare our students for their future success and due to the hard work of our students and faculty.”
“We must take pride in our successes. We are a resilient district,” Palmeri said. He added that the school district would continue to “provide each of its students a remarkable education and wonderful experience.”
Councilman Nino Borrelli introduced a resolution supporting an assembly bill proposed by former Jackson councilman Assemblyman Alex Sauickie that would cover the cost of a state monitor’s pay.
The councilman explained that the Jackson School District is seeking a “$10 million loan, initiated to cover the deficit loss from the state aid cuts. Because of this loan the Department of Education is requiring the Jackson School District be assigned a state monitor who will oversee and can overrule the decisions of the duly elected school board.”
“The $160,000 salary (of the State Monitor) we have to pay for is not a good situation for a school system to be in,” Borrelli added. His resolution supports Assembly Bill A-3589 that would require the state of New Jersey to cover the cost of state monitors assigned to school districts.
The bill has bipartisan support in the Legislature, with Sen. Shirley Turner having introduced the same bill and 12th District Sen. Owen Henry sponsoring it as well. Sen. Turner is vice chair of the Senate Education Committee.
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