Politics & Government

East Brunswick to Get School Aid Boost

Christie promises increases for every school district in the state.

The East Brunswick School District is slated to get about $1.3 million more in state aid for 2011-2012 than it did for 2010-2011, under Gov. Chris Christie's budget proposal.

According to numbers released Wednesday afternoon, East Brunswick can expect $15.145 million in total state aid for the 2011-2012 school year, up from the $13.817 it received for the current school year.

Of that, $10.364 is equalized aid and $4.780 million is in the form of transportation aid.

Find out what's happening in East Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Christie promised in his budget address Tuesday every district in the state would see an aid increase—part of a $250 million boost to education aid overall. 

Last year, the governor sharply reduced aid to schools, with some losing it entirely. At the time, many districts had been making plans for their budgets based on suggestions of more modest cuts by the state Department of Education.

Find out what's happening in East Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I agonized over making cuts to education aid last year," the governor said in his budget address. "They were the very last cuts I approved. It was not a decision I took lightly. It was not something I wanted to do. However, in a year where shared sacrifice was required from everyone, it was a necessary choice."

But he said hard decisions made over the last year allowed for some increase this year. Many districts will still receive less than they did prior to 2010-2011, however.

In proposals tied to his budget, the governor is also pushing for reform to tenure, and for public employees to take on much of the cost associated with their benefits. He's also pushing for associated pension reforms, and is planning to increase the amount of charter schools throughout the state.

"The need for reform, of course, is more urgent than ever. ... We need to reward excellent teachers, put an end to automatic tenure, and give parents trapped in failing schools a choice for a better future for their children. Once and for all, we must reward excellence and there must be consequences for failure. This is the way it is all across America – we must finally bring it to all of New Jersey’s classrooms," Christie said.

The governor's reform proposals have been met with opposition by groups including the NJEA, the state's largest teacher's union, which maintains Christie is unfairly burdening teachers and making them out to be the villians in a complex budget crisis. 

Other highlights of the governor's education budget include:

  • Approximately one quarter of a billion dollars of new money is being added to direct state aid.
  • About $219 million of that new money is being added to the school funding formula spending, an increase of 3.2 percent in K – 12 formula aid.
  • More than $11 million is being added to support expansion of the Interdistrict School Choice program.
  • Over $4 million is being added in state funding for public charter schools.
  • The total pre-school appropriation will not be reduced from the current spending level.
  • Non-public school funding will remain the same.
  • Public charter schools will receive $4.6 million in additional funds – an increase of over 50 percent.


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