February 26, 2007 - 6:27pm
Press Release

Want access to post press releases? To sign up, use this form. You must be logged in.

Senator Robert Singer (R-30)

February 26, 2007
Senator Robert Singer

Contact: Michelle Peal
(732) 901-0702

Schools Continue to Get Short Changed in State Budget

Senator Robert Singer, (R-30), issued the following statement in response to the Department of Education’s release of school aid figures for the coming school year.

During the past five years state aid for most school districts in New Jersey has been frozen, which has caused an estimated $2.2 billion shortfall. Inadequate school funding is the overwhelming reason for the state’s skyrocketing property taxes. That’s why I am disappointed to see that many of the towns in my district will only receive a 3 percent increase in state education funding.

The lack of state funding for public education is the reason I and my colleagues in District 30 started a statewide petition drive requesting that the Governor fully fund public education in the state. We are asking that residents in every town go to their municipal building to sign the petition. We will deliver it to the Governor at the end of March.

More than half of the $10 billion spent on education during the past five years went to 31 Abbott school districts. What was left was divvied up among the remaining 584 districts. We’ll have a similar scenario this year.

What is needed is a comprehensive plan to fund public schools in the state. This plan should be a top priority for the Governor and the Legislature, but instead of a new school funding formula what we have is another short-term scheme designed to get the majority party through another election year.

.

MPEAL can be reached via email at MPEAL@NJleg.org.
Related topics: Michelle Peal, Robert Singer

Comments