Protest NJ's messed up school funding formula

Following is the latest from Dollar$ and $ense and the call for a new school funding formula that will meet the needs of all students:

RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
9-10 A.M.
RICHARD J. HUGHES JUSTICE COMPLEX
MARKET STREET, TRENTON

Join parents, students, education activists and child advocates at the NJ Supreme Court in support of adequate resources for public school children.

Let the Court, NJ legislators and the statewide press know that the SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM ACT OF 2008 (SFRA) is a threat to educational standards and a “thorough and efficient” education for all children in New Jersey.

What Is the SFRA?
The SFRA is a new law passed by the NJ Legislature in early January 2008 by the slimmest of margins. It determines how much State aid school districts will receive and how that will be calculated.

The SFRA limits the amount of money NJ school districts can spend on their students – in most cases this number is below (sometimes well below!) what many districts spent in 2007-8.

What’s Wrong With It?
The SFRA has many flaws. Here are just a few:
• The SFRA-imposed " adequacy budget" for school expenditures is below the current level of spending for 383 of the state's 595 operating districts.
• The adequacy standard is a dramatic step down from what school districts throughout New Jersey have found to be essential for the provision of the “thorough and efficient” education the NJ Constitution guarantees to every child.
• The level of State aid directed to many districts under the SFRA won’t be enough to cover rising fixed costs or ease the pressure on local property tax payers.
• School districts will be forced to make cuts in academic year 2008-9 and beyond.
• The SFRA, combined with recent legislation, will have the long-term effect of reducing expenditures in high performing districts, regardless of the needs and desires of local schools and communities. The SFRA will also severely limit a district's ability to provide the high quality education currently in place.

What Can Be Done About It?

On September 22, the NJ Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the Abbott v. Burke case regarding the SFRA. While the specific focus of the case is the 31 special needs districts, this provides an excellent opportunity to focus attention on the impact of the SFRA on all NJ schoolchildren, including those in suburban districts.

A rally and press conference have been planned for September 22 to let our legislators and the press know that we are not done fighting the SFRA, and that we want a sensible school funding formula that is balanced with a sensible school spending formula.

Almost a decade ago, the NJ Supreme Court determined that the gold standard for an excellent education was the high-achieving suburban districts. The justices connected funding for the special needs districts with the level of expenditure in suburban districts. Now, the State Legislature has decided that link means that high performing districts must spend less, regardless of the level of success they have achieved.

Dollar$ and Sense, an organization representing the interests of these suburban districts, submitted an Amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in the current case. The brief states:

"SFRA may ultimately reduce the disparity in expenditures between the DFG I and J districts and the Abbott districts, but only at the price of denying all children the constitutionally mandated 'thorough and efficient' education."

Dollar$ and Sense will participate in the rally and press conference on September 22. All New Jersey parents and anyone who cares about education is invited.


Send the message that the SFRA’s leveling down is not acceptable for New Jersey schoolchildren.

JOIN together with representatives from suburban and urban school districts on Monday, September 22, at 9 a.m., at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton, for a RALLY and PRESS CONFERENCE.

For more information, contact: info@ourchildrenourschools.org