Sweeney Addresses Need for School Funding Reform In Speech To AFT
Sweeney Addresses Need for School Funding Reform In Speech To AFT
Addressing the American Federation of Teachers’ Statewide Legislative Conference, Senate President Steve Sweeney recently emphasized the need to reform New Jersey’s funding practices for its public schools, stressing the importance of providing full and fair funding for every school district in the state and correcting the fatal flaws in the current formula. Speaking in Atlantic City, Senator Sweeney also spoke about the need to expand Pre-K, to support financial aid programs for higher education and the timeless value of the higher education investment law.
“The state of education funding in New Jersey right now forces too many school districts to make do with less state aid than they need and deserve,” said Senator Sweeney, who has held public forums throughout the state on reform of the School Funding Reform Act, the law that governs the distribution of state aid. “We know that the formula needs to be fully funded and we have identified two of the fatal flaws that need to be reformed. The longer we allow the status quo to continue, the longer the problems continue.
AFT New Jersey represents 30,000 education workers in prekindergarten to 12th grade and in New Jersey institutions of higher education. The union of professionals champions fairness, economic opportunity and high-quality public education. It also advocates for healthcare and public services for our students and their families.
Donna Chiera, the President of the AFT New Jersey praised Senator Sweeney’s leadership on school funding and other education priorities.
“Senator Sweeney has been providing the leadership and the momentum in a concerted effort to correct the problems with the current school funding system and to provide full and fair funding for every district in New Jersey,” said Chiera. “He has succeeded in bringing focus to this issue and in generating widespread support among educators, advocates and parents. We should capitalize on this work and push to get a reform plan enacted.”
Senator Sweeney is advocating for an increase in state support of $100 million a year for five years to help provide full funding. The school funding law of 2008 was altered to include provisions that have prevented districts with increased student enrollment from receiving fair compensation at the same time other school systems are over compensated with so-called “hold harmless” aid that gives them money for students they don’t have.
In addition to the $500 million in increased aid, the more than $600 million in adjustment aid that is now overfunding some districts would be reallocated. This redistribution of hold harmless adjustment aid to underfunded school districts will help to eliminate the enrollment growth cap that discriminates against growing school districts in both cities and suburbs.
The two add-ons were intended to be temporary but continue to be funded eight years later, exacerbating a disparity that leaves some districts with as little as 40 percent funding while others get 140 percent or more of the formula aid.
Senator Sweeney also spoke about the value of expanding Pre-K in New Jersey, saying the success of the current program demonstrates “the inherent value” of early childhood education. He said the Legislature will look for the opportunity to provide additional resources for more Pre-K programs in more schools.
“The results on Pre-k are clear – this is something we know works,” said Senator Sweeney. “Children retain what they learn in Pre-k and they do better on tests later in school thanks to this early start.”
And, with the proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2018 under review by the budget committees in both houses of the Legislature, Senator Sweeney said that the Educational Opportunity Fund and Tuition Assistance Grants will be top priorities for funding.
“We fight every year to make sure money for the Educational Opportunity Fund is in the budget because we know how important it is to make sure that students who don’t come from affluent backgrounds or who might not have all the support they need,” said Senator Sweeney. “Last year the Governor line item vetoed the $5 million additional dollars we put in for EOF but, in the end, we fought to get almost $4 million additional dollars to raise the total to over $42 million. We will do it again.”
Senator Sweeney also spoke about the long-term value of the law he sponsored that directs investments in higher education facilities, supporting educational opportunity and fueling research and development.
