Schools

Slim State Aid Increases Announced for Local School Districts

Each district in New Jersey received increase under largest school aid budget in state history.

For a second consecutive year state aid for school districts in New Jersey has hit a historic level. The Christie administration announced a record $12.9 billion would go to schools in New Jersey for the 2014-15 school year, and that each district across the board would receive an increase of some kind over last year. 

The overall aid makes up 37.5-percent of the state’s $34.4 billion budget, which was presented by Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday. The $12.9 billion amount is an increase of $36.8 million over last year.

Locally, Washington Township’s K-8 district is seeing a 0.6-percent increase, or $45,360 in additional aid. The district will receive a total of $8,042,922 for the 2014-15 budget. 

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The West Morris Regional High School district received a larger increase than the K-8 district with a 1.3-percent jump, or $56,060. That brings the regional district’s total aid to $4,425,501.

Two funds received special attention in the school budgeting, according to the administration, including Per-Pupil Growth Aid and PARCC Readiness. The Per-Pupil Growth Aid money “can be used for virtually any general fund budget item. The decision on where to spend these funds will be made at the local level,” according to the governor’s office.

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The PARCC Readiness aid was infused to help districts realign core standards for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC testing will replace NJ ASK and HSPA testing by the spring of 2015.

Washington Township Schools received $22,680 for each of the two categories, while West Morris Regional received $28,030 for each category.

The increase in aid comes to school districts as they work to keep tax increases under a 2-percent threshold year over year. The 2013-14 budget for Washington Township Schools was essentially flat, while the high school district saw an even 2-percent increase dispersed among its five districts.

Neither district has public voting on budget approval after a decision in 2012 to couple the school election with the general election in November. 


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