2011-2012 State Budget Information, plus FY'11 info

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

7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
On July 1, the Governor delivered an address to a Joint Session of the legislature that began with compromise on his 2.5% property tax cap proposal: he would drop the mandated constitutional amendment. However, he would hold tight on limited exceptions; only a popular vote could override the cap.
Also, the Governor noted that he could support exemptions for capital expenditures and debt service as well as a temporary exemptions for collective bargaining agreements that currently are in place; when the current contract expires than the cap exemption would expire. These are the only exemptions in his current proposal.

Legislature leadership responded, setting up meetings for Friday, July 2: 1) Assembly Budget hearing at 10 a.m. on the subject, and 2) Senate Budget & Appropriations meeting at 8 a.m. to determine schedule and process for property tax reform summer of 2010.

Click on More below to see GSCS Initial Comments submitted to Assembly Budget Committee for todya's Jul2 hearing; and articles on this unique Special Session.
politickernj.com ‘Christie offers compromise; supports 2.5% statutory cap’

Star Ledger ‘N.J. legislative session kicks off property tax cap showdown’

Garden State Coalition of Schools July 2, 2010 submission to the Assembly Budget Committee Comments: New Jersey’s Current Discussion and Agenda for Property Tax Reform

GSCS initial concerns: This property tax discussion is clearly needed in New Jersey. As we engage in this hardscrabble conversation, a conversation we understand is probable to evoke real property tax reform, we do need to ensure that our pros and cons have a foundation based on facts and figures that will support sound policy direction.

GSCS member districts rely heavily on property taxes to support their budgets, up to approximately 95% via local funding. GSCS districts also provided some of the highest quality education in the nation. State policy has effected this overwhelming reliance on local taxes over the years.

In the mid 1980’s the average reliance of GSCS type of districts on local funds was approximately 85%. Capping property taxes will decidedly impact budget growth, but are the downside effects – without state policy changes in fixed costs – what New Jersey really wants for its public schools?

Costs beyond local control must be reduced and can only be addressed by state policy. Examples of these costs are health care, energy, insurances; and enrollment growth. Enrollment growth is a fact of life and per pupil expenses must not be disregarded in proportion to enrollment growth – certain parameters for exemption can be determined that allow for enrollment increases in a cap structure.

State aid must not only be held steady, but must also increase as costs do annually and as policy, such as special education mandates, require.

Without policy in place that recognizes and deals with basic cost drivers, quality education will undoubtedly be leveled down.

For starters, please consider:

Voter override with a simple majority; majority rule is the standard in the United States.

Exemptions from the cap that qualify as fixed costs beyond local control (see above for examples).

A cap that is reasonable and will not result in leveling down quality education.

A review of state aid and SFRA; consideration of the GSCS 2007 white paper proposal that asked for an 85-15 rule: no district should get less that 15% state aid and no district should receive more than 85% state aid.

Thank you.