Henry Meets with Jackson School District Officials to Discuss S2 Funding Cuts

April 17, 2024

Senator Owen Henry (R-12) conducted his second education round table, this time with school officials in the Jackson School District to discuss the impact of Governor Murphy’s proposed S2 funding cuts.

State aid cuts to Jackson have far exceeded their enrollment decreases. Since S2 was implemented, the Jackson School District reported losing 50.1% of their funding although enrollment has only decreased by 15.5%.

“It is abundantly clear that the school funding formula is broken. Public school districts like Jackson are not only struggling with Governor Murphy’s funding cuts, but they are also taking out loans to fill budget gaps that are becoming increasingly more difficult to repay,” said Sen. Henry. “They’ve been forced to make tough choices by cutting educators and programs which are vital for students’ success.”

This was the second education roundtable that Senator Henry has conducted with educators and school administrators in the 12th Legislative District. He met with officials in Old Bridge in March to hear their concerns about Governor Murphy’s proposed school funding cuts.

Senator Henry vowed to continue fighting for school districts in the 12th Legislative District that have been unfairly treated by the S2 school funding formula. He is a co-sponsor of Republican-led legislation, S-3076, that would responsibly restore Governor Murphy’s funding cuts.

On Monday, lawmakers in the Assembly passed a Democrat-led alternative, S-3081, that would raise property taxes.  Senator Henry firmly believes that this approach is not the answer.

“We have to keep fighting for our students and our educators. Kids deserve to have a thorough and efficient education and unfortunately the tough situation that districts are being put in makes it difficult to achieve that goal,” Sen. Henry stated. “Restoring their state aid is a necessary first step towards ensuring schools have the resources they need to help our students succeed.”

You can read the full impact that S2 cuts are having on the Jackson School District online.