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Published in the Asbury Park Press 07/2/05
BY GREGORY J. VOLPE
GANNETT STATE BUREAU
TRENTON — The Assembly narrowly gave final approval Friday to pumping $20 million more in state aid to five school districts that border the state's poorest districts and share some of the same demographic burdens.
It also approved a measure that could help all school districts by easing burdens imposed by last year's school funding law that restricts how much they can increase spending and keep as surplus.
Lawmakers approved the bill that would give $20 million to five districts: Bayonne, North Bergen, Clifton, Hillside and Weehawken because they share borders with three so-called "Abbott" districts and meet other economic and demographic criteria.
Opponents, mostly Republicans, blasted the proposal, saying it was crafted to help a few select towns instead of addressing the funding problems all districts face.
"Every one of us are getting the same questions: "When are you going to help us? The property taxes are killing us,"' said Assembly Minority leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris. "What we are doing here is showing preference to several communities over the rest. It is unfair. This is not a bill that I think is in the best interest of the citizens of New Jersey."
But the bill's lead Assembly sponsor, Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, D-Hudson, called the measure a "triage" aimed to address the most needy districts first.
"This bill is a kind of triage for the five municipalities whose school districts are in the most desperate conditions," Quigley said. "We give a little relief in the area of the most urgent need and when money is available, I'm sure we will give money to the next neediest districts.
"I don't understand how refusing to help one area helps another," she added.
Assemblyman Bill Baroni Jr., R-Mercer, proposed approving the measure contingent on the state giving its full obligation of funding to all districts — something that has not happened in recent years. That idea was defeated by Democrats, 43-35.
The two sponsors of the measure in the Senate, which passed its version of the bill Monday, Sens. Joseph V. Doria Jr. and Nicholas J. Sacco, both Hudson County Democrats, are mayors in two towns that will benefit. Doria is mayor of Bayonne, while Sacco is mayor and assistant schools superintendent in North Bergen.
The additional aid would increase by 10 percent a year and help lower property taxes.
Under the budget cap measure, which passed unanimously without discussion, districts would be able to increase their surplus to 3 percent in the 2006-2007 school year; phase in the capped increases for courtesy busing costs over three years; and waive spending caps for costs they don't control, including utilities, health insurance and security preparedness.
School advocacy groups said the measure does not solve all the problems districts faced under last year's funding law, but does help.
"It's not the cure, but it does give a little more flexibility and would help in the budgeting process," said Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.
The budget agreement that finally emerged Friday includes other school spending that wasn't part of acting Gov. Richard J. Codey's original budget proposal, including:
— $12 million for fast-growing districts
— $15 million for poor-performing districts to fund academic programs
— About $12 million for specific districts: Englewood, $4 million; Ewing, $2.2 million; Trenton, $1.5 million; Collingswood, Edison and Montclair, $1 million each; Wallington and Lawrence, $750,000 each.
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How they voted:
Extra aid to five Abbott-bordered districts:
Democrats
Yes: Barnes, Burzichelli, Caraballo, Chiappone, Chivukula, Cohen, Cruz-Perez, Cryan, Diegnan, Eagler, Egan, Fisher, Gordon, Green, Greenwald, Gusciora, Hackett, Johnson, Manzo, Mayer, McKeon, Oliver, Payne, Pou, Previte, Prieto, Quigley, Roberts, Scalera, Sires, Smith, Stack, Stanley, Steele, Stender, Tucker, Vas, Voss, Watson Coleman, Weinberg, Wisniewski
No: Greenstein, Morgan, Panter, Van Drew
Not voting: Conaway, Conners
Republicans
No: Baroni, Bateman, Biondi, Blee, Bodine, Bramnick, Carroll, Chatzidakis, Connors, Conover, Corodemus, Dancer, DeCroce, DiGaetano, Doherty, Gibson, Gregg, Holzapfel, Kean, Malone, McHose, Merkt, Munoz, Myers, O'Toole, Pennacchio, Rooney, Rumpf, Russo, Thompson, Vandervalk, Wolfe
Abstain: Azzolina
Gregory J. Volpe: gvolpe@gannett.com