Winter Storm Headed To NJ Bringing Snow, Coastal Flooding and Rain
March 2, 2023A Fundraiser Has Been Organized for Billy Paterno Who Has Been Diagnosed with Leukemia
March 4, 2023
According to aid numbers for the 2023–24 school year released by the New Jersey Department of Education on Thursday, the Toms River Regional School District is expected to lose $14.4 million in state funding, or roughly 32 percent.
All counties received funding increases of $832 million, with the exception of Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May.
School administrators were shocked by the proposed cuts to school financing in Gov. Phil Murphy's yearly budget, and state legislators were furious.
“Governor Murphy’s massive school aid cuts to Brick and Toms River are malicious and unnecessary when he’s building a $10 billion budget surplus and putting $1 billion more into schools in other parts of the state,” State Sen. James Holzapfel (R-Ocean) said. “There’s absolutely no reason that schools in Ocean County or anywhere else should have their funding cut when the state is so flush with cash.”
The governor's proposed budget would lower money for nearly half of the school districts in the 10th legislative district, which represents northern and central Ocean County, according to data on school aid provided by the New Jersey Department of Education.
“Increased funding for schools shouldn’t come at the expense of other children’s education,” said
Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin (R-Ocean). “All children deserve a thorough and efficient education, but Murphy’s budget and funding formula picks winners and losers. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been taken from Ocean County school districts to increase funding in Democrat districts. If Murphy really wants to address the learning loss all students experienced from his draconian lockdowns, he has to fully fund all schools.”
Assemblyman John Catalano said there is "nothing left for these districts to cut" with a combined tens of millions of dollars in state funding reduced over the past five years.
The governor's budget cuts will result in significant property tax hikes in these municipalities, according to Catalano. When Governor Murphy is building a $10 billion budget surplus that isn't helping anyone, it seems absurd that these severe cuts are being recommended.
The projected budget has also drawn criticism from county leaders.
Jackson, Lacey, and Stafford Townships are additional local districts that will see significant reductions in state funding.
While funding for Ocean County school systems will be drastically reduced, state money will be allocated from Trenton to a number of capital projects for other districts throughout the state.
