Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

Property Taxes, School Funding issues
     Pre 2012 Announcement Archives
     2012-13 Announcement Archives
     2013-14 Announcement Archives
     2014-15 Announcement Archives
     Old Announcements prior April 2009
     ARCHIVE inc 2007 Announcements
     2009 Archives
     2008 Archives
     2007 Archives
     2006 Archives
     2010-11 Announcements
     2005 through Jan 30 2006 Announcements
12-14-07 GSCS Testimony on School Funding Formula at Initial Trenton hearing

 

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

       210 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608

Testimony before the Senate Budget and Education Committees, December 13, 2007

                                    The New School Funding Formula Proposal

       Comments: Dr. Daniel Fishbein, GSCS President

 

Good morning. I am Dan Fishbein, superintendent of the Glen Ridge schools, and the current president of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. Thank you for the occasion to comment on the Administration’s proposal for funding our school communities.

First we would like to commend the Governor and Commissioner of Education for rolling up their sleeves and tackling the school funding formula thorn. We understand there are many difficulties encountered and hope that now the plan has been released that it can move ahead in a deliberative process that justifies the efforts it has taken to get to this stage.

We start with a caveat: given that the Governor’s plan is not yet underscored in detail by legislation, and that his proposal - and the district data impact listings both also just released later yesterday – is so new to our eyes that our thoughts today can only be cursory and tempered by caution. We look forward to analyzing the proposal and its attending legislation in depth and will feedback to you as soon the opportunity to do so allows. We are definitely anxious to see the bill behind the plan.

That said, we are cautiously optimistic about several features set forth in the proposal:

1)      It is enrollment-sensitive. For the first time in many years, student population growth is counted and is reflected in aid increase.

 

2)      It updates community wealth factors, as well as considers property tax-stress.

 

3)      Middle income districts that have been struggling for years under the current system stand to benefit. Approximately 300 districts stand to gain at least 10% in state aid, primarily from middle class suburbs.

 

4)      Due to the proposal recognizing rising enrollments, coupled with high tax burden, a number of districts – more than 70 - considered to be relatively wealthy also experience some gains for the first time in years.

GSCS also notes several concerns that emerge in the proposal:

1)      A stipulation that districts spending over the adequacy budget will be required to use “some portion” of their state aid increase for property tax relief. What does this mean? Since state aid is property tax relief for starters, we are worried that program needs will be discounted here. We are also worried that aid gains finally noted in the new proposal may turn out to be on paper only, but in fact may come in one door only to go out another.

 

2)      Special education aid changes are numerous in the proposal. From scaling back on the type categorical aid that has been in effect in New Jersey for over 40 years, to a one-third hybrid approach where two-thirds will now be wealth-equalized ….. to a brand new census distribution based on averages rather than the actual student and his/her needs….. to a different way of calculating the extraordinary aid for high cost children, which actually sets more limits than the current law…This new framing of the special education aid needs further explanation, clarification and debate.

 

3)      It is critical to understand and see more on what emerges from the formula when, if and how hold harmless provisions are removed.

These are some of the initial thoughts GSCS can bring to the table today. We look forward to working with the Administration and the Legislature in the days ahead as this significant new plan progresses. We all have a stake in seeing that the best possible formula is achieved, for New Jersey’s heart – our children - and its homes – affordable property taxes.

Thank you.