Overhaul the School Funding Formula

New Jersey’s school funding crisis has escalated to a boiling point, and it’s not looking pretty. As state funding cuts have recently been enacted, impacting up to 140 districts around the state, the sobering reality is setting in, with some schools now considering cutting sports programs, laying off long-time, beloved teachers, and squeezing even more students into overcrowded classrooms. For example, Freehold Regional is now faced with a mountainous $11.4 million gap in its budget, forcing administrators to abandon renovation plans. Similarly, Toms River Regional is dealing with an even larger $26.5 million deficit, which pushed district superintendent Michael Citta to claim that he is even considering cutting kindergarten, among other removals including extracurricular clubs and activities. This debate is not exclusive to the state legislature and school administrators though, as it affects every parent, teacher, and student.

If we’re being honest, the problem extends beyond just the annual budget cuts. The systemic issue of overly relying on districts to provide their own funding through sources like local property taxes means that wealthy districts can act independently from state funding, while districts with many underprivileged students have a significant boost in the state aid formula. On the other hand, middle-class districts are stuck in a financial no-man’s land, unable to benefit from either side of the complicated school funding formula.

Granted, there have been efforts by the current administration to ease the situation. Governor Phil Murphy has signed a few bills that go towards temporary funding help, like NJ A4161, also known as the Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program. This bill earmarks $44.7 million to support schools that supplement current state aid, but, at its core, is just a band-aid solution. Although it definitely can help this year, it doesn’t address the root of the problem, and we’ll be left in the same spot in 2025. We need more than short-term measures which patch the “leaky roof;” we need to overhaul the entire foundation.

It’s past time for the state to overhaul its approach to school funding and completely restructure the funding formula. In other states, like Massachusetts, the state government has taken a heavier hand with struggling districts and managed the districts themselves, while other approaches include focusing on improving teacher quality, like in North Carolina, where we’ve seen increased teacher bonuses and professional development. Alternatively, the legislature could consider varied funding mechanisms or follow the lead of others states exploring innovative solutions.

Overall, the goal should be to rebuild our state’s education system so that every student has access to high-quality education, regardless of zip code, so that we can invest in our future, by investing in the youth today. In conclusion, although recent efforts show that the state government is clearly aware of this debate, this administration’s reaction has been far from a solution. New Jersey is going to need to undertake massive reforms to land on a solution, but let’s rise to the occasion and ensure every student gets the education they deserve.

Derfner is a member of GSI’s 2024 Summer Internship program and is a student at Georgetown University.