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"…if we don’t hear something soon on this [a plan from the Administration for dealing with these issues, e.g., in a special session and a revisit of special education funding], then June 30th will be a very long night.” (Senator Barbara Buono/Metuchen/ at Senate Budget Hearing yesterday.)
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SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE QUESTIONS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON STATE SCHOOL AID BUDGET FOR FY07, PROPERTY TAXES & SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA …The Senate Budget Committee took more than 4 hours yesterday to question Acting Commissioner of Education and staff about the FY07 Department of Education budget and the Administration’s plans for state funding for our public schools. While the tone was more level than the Assembly’s session with the Department a week ago, questioning was often intense, well home-worked and specific. Senator Joe Doria’s (
GSCS was encouraged by Senator Barbara Buono’s (Metuchen) persevering line of inquiry: Buono cited the express need to inquire about use of public funds and “lack of state oversight”, said that accountability issues both “small and large” must be discussed so we can talk openly about “what is troubling the public…property taxes and school funding are inextricably linked…The time is over for studying the issues…to get off the time…if we don’t hear something soon on this [a plan from the Administration for dealing with these issues, e.g., in a special session and a revisit of special education funding], then June 30th will be a very long night.”
New formula in the works for funding N.J. schools
Press of
Excerpt: If a new formula is approved by early next year, there might be time to get it to the local school districts as they prepare their 2007-08 budgets. Otherwise it would have to wait for 2008-09.
“It all depends on what we can do together,” Davy said. “The funding issue is at the heart of all the issues we face.”
State Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, expressed concern that after five years of almost flat state aid, a new formula would likely need some transition time, both to implement the new rules and determine how much funding is needed. “We have to worry about the effect on property taxes,” she said.
Legislators urge direct aid for state special services schools
Press of
Excerpt: TRENTON — State Sen. Stephen Sweeney, D-Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, and Sen. William Gormley, R-Atlantic, both members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, have joined forces to try to get direct state aid for the eight public special services schools in the state…..
ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE 5-15-06…AR168 [for resolution details, see GSCS website ‘gscschools.org’], sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman passed out of the Assembly Education Committee yesterday. According to the Assemblywoman yesterday, the resolution calling for an Assembly Task Force on Education Reform and School Funding, is poised for a final Assembly vote on May 22. Since this resolution bill is directed to the Assembly only, it becomes effective upon passage by the Assembly and is set to begin work in June. The Task Force will work through the summer and is called to complete its efforts 90 days after establishment…..GSCS (and the education community in general) remain concerned that there is no formal process that allows for expertise input from within stakeholder ranks.
ASSOCIATED PRESS May 16 2006
State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy told the Senate Budget Committee on Monday the administration is also considering a new funding formula and hopes to have a recommendation in six to nine months.
