Our Children/Our Schools
A newsletter about New Jersey school funding and reform
  March 2008 - Issue 13
In This Issue
Resources

The Garden State has been a national leader in school funding equity. But the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 may change that. The new aid formula underfunds many New Jersey schools and programs and removes the historic Abbott "special needs" designation for poor, urban schools. In addition, the new formula does little to change New Jersey's over-reliance on local property taxes to fund education. Our Children/Our Schools seeks to inform the public debate on these important issues and advocate for high quality education for all New Jersey children.

OC/OS is urging Governor Jon Corzine to reconsider a proposal from the Education Law Center to delay implementation of the new school funding formula until it is reviewed by the NJ Supreme Court. OC/OS is concerned that budget chaos and disruption of school programs could result if the Court finds the formula does not meet the standards for funding equity set forth in its landmark Abbott rulings.

Now that the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 has squeaked through the NJ legislature and been signed into law, what will it mean for New Jersey's urban and suburban schoolchildren, especially those who are most at risk? An OC/OS analysis finds a handful of gains for some districts, but a much longer list of negatives and concerns.
In a February 19 ruling, the NJ Supreme Court declined to set a deadline for funding stalled schools construction projects in the Abbott districts citing a pledge by the Governor to introduce legislation that would restart the program with $2.5 billion in new funds. This was the third time that Abbott children, represented by the Education Law Center, have asked the court to intervene since 2005, when the schools construction program essentially ran out of funding.
Over 200 people gathered on February 2 to learn more about the new School Funding Reform Act passed in January and the impact it will have on both Abbott and non-Abbott districts. Participants from more than 20 districts across the state strategized about the work to be done on the local and state levels in light of the changed school funding landscape.
 
Governor Corzine's 2009 budget includes about a $17 million increase for preschool education. But it is unclear exactly how much of this amount will support the long overdue expansion of New Jersey's highly successful Abbott Preschool Program to other low-income districts in the state or increase capacity to serve more children in the Abbott districts.
An alternative to Corzine's dying fiscal plan, by Paul Tractenberg, The Star Ledger, Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Schools Revived by Special Aid in New Jersey Brace for New Formula, The New York Times, Tuesday, February 12, 2008
N.J. Schools: Waiting Too Long, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Monday, February 25, 2008
Closing the Gap, by Michelle Fuetsch, The Record, Sunday, February 24, 2008
Getting Out a Yes Vote on Budgets, The New York Times, Sunday, February 24, 2008
Assembly Education Committee Roundtable Discussion, with invited school district superintendents and school business administrators on choices made by districts in developing their proposed budgets for 2008-2009 school year, March 6, at 2 p.m., Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton.
Public Hearing: Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy. The Governor's Immigrant Policy Panel calls on the public to testify on issues confronting New Jersey's immigrant population, including education, March 11, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Bridgeton High School Auditorium,111 North West Ave., Bridgeton. For more info, call (609) 826-5107 or e-mail immigrantpolicypanel@advocate.state.nj.us.
Our Children/Our Schools General Meeting, Thursday, March 20, at 10 a.m. For more info, contact skrengel@edlawcenter.org.
No Child Left Behind: Successes, Failures, Changes, a panel discussion presented by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, March 29, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Lucy Stone Hall, Livingston Campus, Rutgers University, Piscataway, $5 at the door, no pre-registration required. For more info, contact the League of Women Voters of NJ at (609) 394-3303 or contact@lwvnj.org.
The School Finance Dance: Who will take the lead? March 29,10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dean's Lounge, 1st floor, Ackerson Hall, 180 University Avenue, Newark. Workshop will also take place on April 12 and 26. For details, visit http://www.abbottleadership.org/events.php.
Annual School Election, April 15, check local districts for polling times and locations.
Save the date! Kids in Concert, the annual benefit concert for Education Law Center, will be held on May 13, 7:30 p.m., at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. KIC celebrates the talents of public school children in New Jersey's 31 Abbott districts.
Send announcements of upcoming events for the Our Children/Our Schools Calendar to info@ourchildrenourschools.org.

"At its core, a constitutionally adequate education is one that will prepare public school children for a meaningful role in society, enable them to compete effectively in the economy and contribute and participate as citizens and members of their communities."

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