{"id":13064,"date":"2018-07-16T02:59:08","date_gmt":"2018-07-16T06:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=13064"},"modified":"2018-07-16T03:01:00","modified_gmt":"2018-07-16T07:01:00","slug":"first-strike-n-j-will-slash-bricks-school-funding-by-1-1m-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2018\/07\/first-strike-n-j-will-slash-bricks-school-funding-by-1-1m-this-year\/","title":{"rendered":"First Strike: N.J. Will Slash Brick’s School Funding by $1.1M This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Brick<\/a>

Brick Township Board of Education\/Schools (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

Trenton thinks Brick\u2019s taxes are too low, and they\u2019re doing something about it.<\/p>\n

Though the majority of New Jersey\u2019s 577 school districts will receive more funding this year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed off Friday on a measure that will strip $1,162,224 from Brick\u2019s schools. It is not clear, however, if the state will require homeowners to make up the difference through property taxes or if a reduction in expenditures is allowed.<\/p>\n

The figures released by the governor\u2019s office call for a total 3.29 percent reduction in funding for the Brick district\u2019s schools, which is the first of what is estimated to be a $22 million cut over seven years. After the seventh year, the district will have a permanent $22 million reduction.<\/p>\n

The funding plan was described by Murphy\u2019s office as \u201ca balanced approach to school aid\u201d that ensures schools are \u201creceiving the funds they need to advance academic excellence for our students.\u201d Statewide, Jersey City, Brick and Toms River will lose the highest amount of state funding, respectively.<\/p>\n

The Brick district, in particular, receives a one-two punch of a funding loss and a potential tax hike to make up for it because it falls under two categories. First, the district is considered overfunded, and second, the state\u2019s school funding formula considers the town wealthy enough to afford to fund a substantial increase in its tax levy. The funding that will be cut this year is so-called \u201cadjustment aid,\u201d essentially state dollars that bridge the gap between what Brick taxpayers pay and how much the state believes they can afford to pay. Under the formula, Brick\u2019s taxes were considered too low to support its school system, and declining enrollment has signaled to the state that its funding should be cut.<\/p>\n

Previously, district officials said the cut in state funding would be required to be made up by a tax increase at the local level, however a budget guidance document<\/a> released this weekend by the state Department of Education leaves the door open for budget reductions, which would most likely stem from layoffs or other reductions in services.<\/p>\n

According to the guidance, districts losing funding can use surplus funding to make up the difference, ask the state commissioner of education for permission to use emergency reserves or cut appropriations. The document also states that districts must hold a public meeting by Aug. 1 to address the reduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a tight timeframe, and districts need to act quickly with the impending beginning of the new school year,\u201d the document said.<\/p>\n

Statewide, an additional $351 million in K-12 school aid will be allocated to 391 districts. But another $32 million will be redistributed from 172 districts \u2013 including Brick \u2013 receiving \u201cmore than their uncapped aid amounts to those districts that are underfunded,\u201d the Murphy administration said in a statement.<\/p>\n

By providing additional resources to districts that have been significantly underfunded, this budget starts a path toward the Governor\u2019s goal of a stronger and fairer school funding structure,\u201d said Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet.<\/p>\n

The news sent shockwaves throughout Ocean County. In Toms River, a Democratic member of the township council publicly announced last week that he would become a Republican, citing the school funding issue. In Brick, Mayor John Ducey, also a Democrat, publicly called on Murphy to veto the plan.<\/p>\n

The Brick Township school board held its most recent meeting before the announcement was made Friday. There have been no announcements as to when the emergency budget meeting will be held.<\/p>\n

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According State DOE Data:<\/strong><\/p>\n