Greenstein Meets with Monroe & Robbinsville Officials at Statehouse, Vows to Push for Full School Funding

Full Funding Would Boost Support for Monroe & Robbinsville School Districts

TRENTON – Today at the Statehouse, Senator Linda Greenstein met with local officials from Monroe and Robbinsville townships on the need for additional school funding and vowed to fight to bring all districts in New Jersey to full funding under the School Funding Reform Act.

Monroe officials, including School Superintendent Dr. Michael G. Kozak, School Board President Kathy Kolupanowich and Monroe Township Business Administrator Alan Weinberg, were at the Statehouse today to demonstrate the need for increased school aid as Acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington testified before the Assembly Budget Committee on the Governor’s proposed education spending plan for the FY18 budget. Robbinsville officials, including Robbinsville Schools Business Administrator Beth Brooks, and board of education members Jane Luciano and Leslie Dee, also were in attendance along with district parents.

“Monroe and Robbinsville township schools and many others are struggling as a result of underfunding from the state, and the governor has again proposed shortchanging districts in the FY18 state budget.  Districts can’t afford to continue to wait for additional aid,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer and Middlesex). “We need to provide districts with full funding under the constitutionally approved school funding formula. This would help to ensure that all districts are provided funding fairly and all students have an opportunity to succeed.”

Senator Greenstein is advocating for an increase in school funding for the districts under the Senate Democrats’ school funding reform plan, which would bring all districts to full funding under the School Funding Reform Act. She met with the officials from Monroe and Robbinsville and attended an Assembly budget hearing with the group today.

The Senate plan would remedy a school funding system that has left 67 percent of New Jersey’s school districts underfunded, bringing all districts to 100 percent funding within five years. It would do this by reallocating over $500 million in Adjustment Aid, removing the growth cap that prevents districts like Monroe with increasing enrollment from receiving the aid they need, and adding $100 million annually for five years. Under the full funding plan, the school system in Monroe would receive an additional $5.8 million; Robbinsville Schools would receive an additional $6.9 million.

The Senate Select Committee on School Funding Fairness, a special bipartisan panel created by the Senate, has held hearings throughout the state on school funding and has been charged with making recommendations for reforms that will ensure school districts are funded fairly and equitably.

“We have to bring fairness to the way the state allocates school aid and bringing all districts to full funding under the School Funding Reform Act is imperative,” said Senator Greenstein. “It would provide Monroe, Robbinsville and many other districts with a deserved increase in school aid, and would help to ensure that every child is offered an equal opportunity for a quality education.”