Ocean Co. Legislators Urge Action On School Funding Cap Measures

TRENTON, NJ — Ocean County lawmakers are asking top Statehouse leaders to take up legislation they said would help school districts hurt by funding inequities under the state aid formula.

Sen. Carmen Amato Jr., Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblyman Gregory Myhre sent a letter to Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin urging consideration of S-4356 and A-5178.

According to the letter, the bills are aimed at assisting school districts that have been discriminated against through severe funding inequities. The lawmakers tied that request to a 6 percent cap on funding increases they said has been in place over the last two state fiscal years.

“Over the last two State fiscal years, the formula has capped funding increases at 6%, which hits school districts, including many in our legislative district, even harder due to chronic and drastic funding cuts. As corrective action, our legislation would restore funding by eliminating this indefensible artificial cap,” the letter reads.

The lawmakers argued in the letter that the cap has worsened the effect of past reductions for districts in their area. They said their legislation would restore funding by removing the cap.

“Due to the 6% cap, the case can easily be made that the current formula has been deliberately rigged. Many of our constituents believe that negatively impacted school districts are being denied funding to which they are rightly entitled under the existing formula so that other school districts in the state can benefit financially. This would include school districts prone to fiscal mismanagement, first and foremost Newark,” the letter reads.

You can read the full letter here.