Which North Jersey school districts got the biggest aid increases? Which lost the most?
Inflationary pressures were the biggest reason behind a bump in proposed state funding in the 2023-24 fiscal year for many North Jersey school districts.
Statewide, the Murphy administration proposed a total increase of $832 million in K-12 funding, according to figures released recently by the Department of Education. That would lift total state aid for the state's 600-odd school districts to a combined $10.7 billion, putting the Murphy administration closer to its goal of "fully funding" the state’s public schools by 2025, experts say.
It's important not to jump to conclusions just because one district saw big gains while another lost aid. What ultimately affects a school is its operating budget and how much of it is derived from local taxes.
"It is difficult to assess the relative impact on districts when calculating the percentage change just in terms of state aid," said school funding expert Danielle Farrie of the Education Law Center, an advocate for fair funding. "A large percentage loss of state aid in a district that is funded primarily through local funding is very different from a large percentage loss in a district that is predominantly funded through state aid. It is more instructive to look at the changes relative to each district’s operating budget."
Look up your district:NJ has released 2024 school funding figures. See how much will go to your district
Districts that are unable to raise the revenue they need from local property taxes — while continuing to deal with drops in state aid — feel the burden the most. Declines in state aid are usually linked to falling enrollment.
The state needs to pay attention to those districts, because they will be spending below what is considered an adequate rate per student and would likely face painful cuts to "classroom staff, social-emotional supports and other essential programs," Farrie said.
"The aid numbers may have been more unpredictable this year due to the impact of inflation and property values on how aid is calculated," Farrie said. "Some districts may have received more than they were expecting, and others much less. We are concerned about some districts’ ability to absorb these cuts, especially those spending below the formula’s adequacy target."
Biggest winners among Bergen County districts
Bergen County districts saw some big gains, with around a 55% increase in aid over the previous year for Ridgefield and a 44% increase for Cliffside Park. All 75 Bergen school districts saw gains in state K-12 aid for fiscal year 2023-24 compared with the previous year, except three: Rockleigh, Waldwick and New Milford. New Milford saw a drop of around 13%.
Biggest winners among Passaic County districts
Passaic County saw some significant proposed gains in state school aid. Woodland Park gained 68% and Passaic Valley Regional gained 40% compared with last year. Five of Passaic county's 20 school districts saw drops in aid. Lakeland Regional and West Milford Township lost 27% and 17.6%, respectively.
Winners and losers among Morris County districts
Morris County's Boonton Town and Morris Hills Regional saw gains of around 33% each. Five of Morris county's 39 school districts saw a drop in state aid this year. The biggest losers were Washington Township and Jefferson Township, at around 11% and 23%, respectively.
Winners and losers among Sussex County districts
In a continuing trend, the North Jersey county to lose the most aid is Sussex, where rural districts reportedly have seen enrollment drops. Some 12 of the county's 25 districts lost aid compared with the previous year. Hopatcong lost 28%. Kittatinny Regional lost 23%. Green Township and Stillwater Township each lost around 22%.
Sussex County's Sandyston-Walpack Township and Newton saw the biggest gains from the previous year, up 32% and 21% in aid.
Sussex County has consistently seen annual drops in aid, except this year, when it increased by around 2%.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Which North Jersey school districts saw the biggest state aid jumps?
