Small Milltown school district getting big boost in state aid
MILLTOWN – The school district will receive the fourth highest boost in state aid across New Jersey for the next school year.
For the 2022-23 school year, the district will receive just over $4 million in K-12 aid, which is a 56% increase from the $2.6 million the district received this past year.
The state aid includes $3 million in stabilization, $302,000 in transportation, $604,000 in extraordinary special education and $86,000 in security aid.
The district’s budget for 2022-23 is $23.8 million.
The increase in funding is included in the state budget proposal put forth by Gov. Phil Murphy. As announced in March, the governor's plan for the 2023 fiscal year increases K-12 school aid by $650 million overall as well as expands pre-K and funds school construction.
"We place great value on providing all students with access to a world-class education, and this budget continues to support students and school districts." Murphy said. "We also know that schools account for more than half of the average property tax bill in New Jersey. By adequately funding our public schools, we are allowing towns to maintain high-quality educational programs without passing the additional cost on to property taxpayers."
Milltown has two public schools. Parkview Elementary houses pre-K-3 with 363 students and 35 teachers. Joyce Kilmer Middle has a population of 451 students in grades 4-8 with 42 teachers.
Joyce Kilmer was recently certified as a National School of Character by Character.org, a national advocate and leader in character development in schools and communities.
READ: Where does your hometown stand among Central Jersey's richest towns?
Approximately 280 students in grades 9-12 attend Spotswood High School in a tuition-based send-receive relationship. About 22 borough students attend Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, which is not a tuition-based relationship.
Districts that received a higher boost in state aid are Loch Arbour in Monmouth County with a 118% increase, Cape May City in Cape May County with a 93% increase and New Milford in Bergen County with a 57% increase.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Small Milltown NJ school district getting big boost in state aid
