Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     7-14-11 State GUIDANCE re: Using Additional State Aid as Property Tax Relief in this FY'12 Budget year.PDF
     7-14-11 DOE Guidance on Local Options for using Additional State School Aid in FY'12 State Budget.PDF
     FY'12 State School Aid District-by-District Listing, per Appropriations Act, released 110711
     7-12-11 pm District by District Listing of State Aid for FY'12 - Guidelines to be released later this week (xls)
     Democrat Budget Proposal per S4000, for Fiscal Year 2011-2012
     Additional School Aid [if the school funding formula,SFRA, were fully funded for all districts] per Millionaires' Tax bill S2969
     6-24-11 Democrat Budget Proposal brings aid to all districts
     6-1-11 Supreme Court Justice nominee, Anne Paterson, passed muster with Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday by 11-1 margin
     4-26-11 School Elections, Randi Weingarten in NJ, Special Educ Aid, Shared Services bill
     4-25-11 Charter Schools in Suburbia: More Argument than Agreement
     4-24-11 Major Education Issues in the News
     4-3-11Press of Atlantic City - Pending Supreme Court ruling could boost aid to New Jersey schools
     3-31-11 Charters an Issue in the Suburbs - and - So far, only 7 Separate Questions on April School Budget Ballots
     3-26-11 New Jersey’s school-funding battle could use a dose of reality
     3-25-11 Education Week on School Cutbacks Around The Nation
     Link to Special Master Judge Doyne's Recommendations on School Funding law to the Supreme Court 3-22-11
     GSCS 3-7-11Testimony on State Budget as Proposed by the Governor for FY'12 before the Senate Budget Committee
     Attached to GSCS 3-7-11 Testimony: Marlboro Schools strike historic agreement with instructional aides, bus drivers, bus aides
     GSCS - Local District Listing : Local Funds Transferred to Charter Schools 2001-2010
     GSCS Bar Chart: Statewide Special Education cost percent compared to Regular & Other Instructional cost percent 2004-2011
     GSCS Bar Chart: 2001to 2011 Statewide General Fund Transfers Required from Local District Budgets to Support Charter Schools (Increased from $85M to $317M)
     GSCS Take on Governor's Budget Message
     Gov's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Today, 2pm
     8-18-10 Property Tax Cap v. Prior Negotiated Agreements a Big Problem for Schools and Communities
     7-22-10 'Summer school falls victim to budget cuts in many suburban towns'
     7-12-10 Assembly passes S29 - the 2% cap bill - 73 to 4, with 3 not voting
     7-8-10 Tax Caps, Education in the News
     GSCS:Tax Cap Exemption needed for Special Education Costs
     7-3-10 Governor Christie and Legislative leaders reached agreement today on a 2% property tax cap with 4 major exemptions
     7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
     6-29-10 GSCS - The question remains: ? Whither property Tax Reform
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-28-10 State Budget tops the news today
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-25-10 Appropriations Act bills for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 available on NJ Legislature website - here are the links
     6-23-10 Trenton News: State Budget on the move...Education Issues
     6-22-10 The Appropriations Act for the State Budget Fiscal Year 2010-2011
     6-22-10 Budget , Cap Proposals & Education News - njspotlight.com
     6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule
     6-10-10 Op-Ed in Trenton Times Sunday June 6 2010
     6-8-10 (posted) Education & Related Issues in the News
     Office on Legislative Services Analysis of Department of Educaiton - State Budget for FY'11
     4-23-10 Education issues remain headline news
     4-22-10 School Elections - in the News Today
     4-21-10 DOE posts election results
     Hear about Governor Christie's noontime press conference tonight
     4-21-10 News on School Election Results
     4-21-10 Assoc. Press 'NJ voters reject majority of school budgets'
     4-20-10 Today is School Budget & School Board Member Election Day
     4-18-10 It's About Values - Quality Schools...Your Homes...Your Towns: Sunday front page story and editorial
     4-19-10 GSCS Testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee on State Budget FY'11
     4-13-10 Testimony submitted to Senate Budget Committee
     4-13-10 Commissioner Schundler before Senate Budget Committee - early reports....progress on budget election issue
     4-12-10 'Gov. urges voters to reject school districts' budgets without wage freezes for teachers'
     GSCS 'HOW-TO' GET TRENTON'S ATTENTION ON STATE BUDGET SCHOOL ISSUES FY '11' - Effective and Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     4-6-10 'Gov. Chris Chrisite extends dealdine for teacher salary concessions'
     4-6-10 'NJ school layoffs, program cuts boost attention to Apri 20 votes
     4-2-10 Press of Atlantic City lists county impact re: school aid reduction
     4-2-10 'On Titanic, NJEA isn't King of the World'
     Administration's presentation on education school aid in its 'Budget in Brief' published with Governor Christie's Budget Message
     PARENTS ARE CALLING TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS FOR THE SCHOOL AID PICTURE - GSCS WILL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE
     4-1-10 Courier Post article reports on Burlington and Camden County district budgets
     4-1-10 Education in the News today
     4-1-10 New Initiatives outlined to encourage wage freezes - reaction
     3-31-10 What's Going on in Local Districts?
     3-29-10 The Record and Asbury Park Press - Editorials
     3-26-10 GSCS: Effective & Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     FAQ's on Pension Reform bills signed into law March 22, 2010
     3-26-10 School Aid, Budget Shortfall - Impt Related Issues - Front Page News
     3-25-10 STATE BUDGET FY11 PROCESS - IMPORTANT TRENTON DATES - April through May 2010
     3-23-10 GSCS Testimony presented to Senate Budget Committee on State Budget FY'11
     GSCS - Formula Aid Loss and Percent Loss by District - Statewide
     GSCS - Formula Aid Loss under 50%, by County
     GSCS - Formula Aid Loss of 50% or more, by County
     3-23-10 ' N.J. Gov. Chris Christie signs pension, benefits changes for state employees'
     3-23-10 State Budget Issues in the News
     3-21-10 Reform bills up for a vote in the Assembly on Monday, March 22
     GSCS FYI - GSCS will be testifying onTuesday in Bergen County on the State Budget
     3-21-10 Sunday News from Around the State - School Communities, School Budgets and State Budget Issues
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-17-10 Budget News - NJ Schools Stunned By Cuts
     3-16-10 Link to Budget in Brief publication
     3-15-10mid-day: 'Gov. Christie plans to cut NJ school aid by $800M'
     3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'
     3-15-10 'N.J. taxpayers owe pension fund $45.8 billion' The Record
     3-11-10 Public Hearings on State Budget for FY11 posted on NJ Legislature website
     3-11-10 'GOP vows tools to cut expenses, tighter caps'
     3-9-10 'NJ leaders face tough choices on budget'
     Flyer: March 2 Education Summit Keynote Speaker - Education Commissioner Bret Schundler - Confirmed
     3-5-10 HomeTowne Video taping plus interviews of GSCS Summit@Summit
     3-5-10 GSCS Summit@Summit with Bret Schundler to be lead topic on Hall Institute's weekly 2:30 pm podcast today
     3-4-10 GSCS Email-Net: Summit @ Summit Report - A New Day in Trenton?
     3-4-10 'NJ education chief Bret Schundler tells suburban schools to expect more cuts in aid'
     3-4-10 'School aid cuts unavoidable during NJ budget crisis'
     3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'
     2-24-10 'Tight funds raise class sizes that districts long sought to cut'
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     Flyer for March 2 Education 'Summit@Summit'
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     2-14-10 'FAQ's on NJ's state of fiscal emergency declaration by Gov. Christie'
     State Aid 2010 Reserve Calculation and Appeal Procedures
     2-12-10 News Coverage: Governor Christie's message on actions to address current fiscal year state budget deficits
     FY2010 Budget Solutions - PRESS PACKET
     School Aid Withheld Spreadsheet
6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule
'Parties quietly resolve budget differences' Phildadelphia Inquirer Trenton Bureau

TRENTON - "A budget season that began with bold declarations of ideology and promises of high drama appears headed toward a relatively quiet resolution, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreeing there simply isn't much money to fight over..."

Parties quietly resolve budget differences

TRENTON - A budget season that began with bold declarations of ideology and promises of high drama appears headed toward a relatively quiet resolution, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreeing there simply isn't much money to fight over.

Republican and Democratic legislators said this week the budget will not vary significantly from the $29.3 billion spending plan proposed by Republican Gov. Christie in March.

"The budget is going to be very close, over 99 percent identical to what the governor proposed in March," said Senate Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R., Union).

Lawmakers are aiming to finish the budget with time to spare. Some said they hope to send a budget to the governor by June 24, about a week before the constitutional deadline of June 30.

Democrats, who are the majority party in both houses of the Legislature, took the unusual step of proposing that Republicans sponsor the appropriations legislation, and they agreed to do so.

"This will be a Republican budget," said Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairman Paul Sarlo (D., Bergen). "They will have complete ownership of this budget."

Sarlo said his Democratic colleagues will supply the Republicans with the minimum number of votes needed to pass the budget and prevent a shutdown of state government. If all the Republican legislators vote for the bill, they would need the votes of eight Democrats in the Assembly and four in the Senate.

Republicans are happy to take the lead on the budget, said Assemblyman Joseph R. Malone III of Burlington County, the Republican Budget Officer.

"I am very proud to stand with this governor," Malone said. "I know he's making very difficult decisions, I know he's making some groups angry, but that's the price of leadership."

Patrick Murray, a political analyst at Monmouth University, said that after failing to pass the "millionaires tax," Democrats don't want to go near the governor's budget.

Politically, it makes sense for the Democrats to distance themselves from Christie's budget, Murray said. But "whether this is good for government, for the state of New Jersey, that they can't get together and compromise, I think it's somewhat disingenuous for the Democrats to play this game."

"This is the kind of political calculations that really turn off people at the end of the day," Murray said. "It's going to work in their favor, but it's not the best way to run a government."

Christie's budget reduces spending across just about every area of government to close a deficit of about $11 billion. His proposal would suspend property tax rebates for a year to save $850 million and skip $3 billion in payments to pension plans for public employees. Schools would lose $819 million, in large part because more than $1 billion in federal stimulus funds used last year will not be repeated, and municipalities would lose $46 million in state aid.

Democrats still hope to tinker around the edges of Christie's spending plan, although any hopes of reviving the "millionaires tax," which at one point was the rallying cry for the majority party, appear all but dead.

The tax would have increased the tax rate on income above $1 million from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent. Democrats said they would use the revenue from the tax to restore property tax rebates to 600,000 senior citizens and disabled residents.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) said Thursday that both houses were working together to come up with proposals to present to the governor.

Sarlo said Democrats hope to restore funding to areas including transportation for private schools, family planning, legal services, and sheltered workshops for people with developmental disabilities. Sarlo said Democrats would propose additional budget cuts to balance out any additional costs, but declined to say where the cuts may come from.

This budget is an extraordinarily painful one for lawmakers of both parties, said Senator Kevin J. O'Toole (R., Bergen).

"We've never seen a budget deficit like the one we're dealing with this year. Nobody's happy with it - the governor, Republicans, Democrats - but we'll turn the page and hopefully, revenues will pick up, create some jobs, and there will be rosier projections next year," he said.

The Treasury Department released its latest revenue figures Thursday indicating that in April and May, revenues from income tax collections fell $2.4 billion, or 9.9 percent, below projections. For the year to date, income tax collections are 2.2 percent below revised forecasts, sales tax 0.9 percent below, and corporate business tax 5.3 percent below.