Press Contact: Debra Coyle, (609) 707-1320
Nikki Baker, (551) 333-4460

TRENTON – In today’s budget address, Governor Murphy announced $900 million for public schools and expanding free Pre-K. While we applaud these efforts, unfortunately funding once fell short in providing sufficient resources to ensure all our state’s children have a healthy and safe learning environment. The Schools Development Authority (SDA), which has a constitutional requirement to fund school infrastructure projects in our 31 most in need districts, has estimated $7 billion in need for projects it has currently identified.

While we know this is a marathon and not a sprint, the Healthy School Now advocates are calling for $500 million in the FY25 budget for the SDA. This funding is needed to address our aging and far too often hazardous school buildings, some of which are over one hundred years old.

“Given the urgent facilities needs in our urban school districts, it is time for the Governor and Legislature to step up and deliver on their constitutional obligation to remediate unsafe, overcrowded and inadequate school buildings with an allocation of $500 million for the Schools Development Authority in the FY25 State Budget,” said Theresa Luhm, Education Law Center Senior Attorney.

School projects, like all development, take years, but the funding must be in place so land can be purchased, contracts can be entered into, and emergent issues can be addressed. Consistent permanency in funding the SDA is necessary and need to be prioritized to ensure that a pipeline of projects can be identified, contracted, and built by the SDA. Nonetheless, we cannot continue kicking the can down the road and must make a significant investment in this year’s budget.

“Moments become movements and right now is the time to invest in New Jersey’s educational infrastructure starting with $500 million in FY25. A common adage among education professionals is this: ‘Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.’ Aren’t New Jersey children and those charged with their education and care worth the investment,” stated Nikki Baker, Heathy Schools Now Campaign Organizer.

$500 million will allow the SDA to fund current projects, purchase land that comes available, and deal with emergent projects that need immediate attention over the coming year. The state has both a moral and constitutional obligation to the children of our state. To put our state on track to meet these obligations, we must make a meaningful, significant investment this year!

“There is no more road to kick the can down. We recognize in the past two funding cycles $2 billion has been allocated to SDA funding. Unfortunately, much more is needed to modernize our school buildings. The longer these capital projects sit on the books, the more expense they get,” said Debra Coyle, Executive Director, NJ Work Environment Council.