Funding Alert

State House, Trenton, NJ, January 8, 2007 – Our Children/Our Schools campaign members met with key legislators as they returned to work for the first session of 2007. Members carried a four-point message: 1) Stop rushing a new school funding formula; 2) Get a new cost study under way; 3) Increase state school aid for 2007-08; and 4) Acknowledge that Abbott funding and reforms are working.

Between a morning caucus and an afternoon voting session, OC/OS members brought these messages to education committee leaders and other legislators. They met with Senate Education Committee Chair Shirley Turner, Assembly Education Committee Chair Craig Stanley, and Joint Committee on the Public Schools Co-Chair Senator Ronald Rice. They also met with Senators Joseph Doria, Nia Gill, and Shelia Oliver, the Chief of Staff for Senator Joseph Girgenti; Members of the Assembly Neil Cohen, Nellie Pou, Joseph Vas, William Payne, and outreach coordinator for Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts

OC/OS members urged a new school funding formula that will enable all New Jersey children to enjoy the benefits of a high quality public education no matter where they live or what special needs they may have. "So far, we’ve been rushing to create a funding formula that will meet the State’s property tax reform timeline. We need time to take a good look at what is required to provide an excellent education in New Jersey," said Rosie Grant of the Paterson Education Fund. "We told the legislators we spoke with," added Ms. Grant, "it’s more important to get it right than to do it fast."

Many New Jersey school districts have been operating for some time with flat or near flat state aid budgets inadequate to cover the rising costs of delivering a public education. "The legislature will need to make other resources available until they revamp the funding formula once and for all. They should look at reinstating the levels required under the current funding law," said David Sciarra of the Education Law Center.

Finally, OC/OS provided legislators with copies of the December 21, 2006 Bergen Record editorial entitled "Poor Schools Improving," and with 2006 test scores to illustrate how increased funding and reforms for Abbott districts have had real, positive effects. "Preschool enrollment and program quality are way up and there have been real and very visible positive effects on children’s learning," said Daniel Santo Pietro of the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey. "We want them to see and acknowledge that kids are making progress in Abbott preschool and in the early elementary grades," he added.

Kathleen Witcher of the NAACP-Irvington branch told legislators, "The promise of Abbott is only now beginning to be realized. The state needs to fully commit to fulfilling and extending Abbott to all children. Now is definitely not the time to undercut the prospects of quality education for all children."