TRENTON, February 16, 2016—Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, today issued the following statement in response to Governor Christie’s annual budget address to the state legislature.
“Governor Christie has proposed an overall $94.3 million increase in direct school aid, with each district receiving an increase in funding for 2016-2017. Considering the fiscal challenges facing state government, we appreciate the increase. However, the amount falls short of full funding of the current aid formula, a concept we vigorously support.
“The full story will come out later this week, when the Department of Education releases district-by-district state aid results. NJSBA will analyze the proposed state budget, and will address it during the legislative hearings which are part of the budget-deliberation process.
“Even with a bump-up in state aid, local school boards are facing an increasingly difficult situation in meeting their communities’ educational needs. Therefore, over the next year, NJSBA will continue to seek legislation, such as an adjustment to the 2 percent tax levy cap for growing state- and federally required special education costs, and removing limits that restrict expenditures on the implementation of the state’s extensive teacher evaluation process, which is critical to New Jersey’s tenure reform act.”