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Assembly Opens Hearings On School Funding

David Sciarra testifies at Assembly Education Committee hearing
Phil Gregory

The New Jersey Assembly has launched hearings to examine how to revise the school funding formula of 2008.

David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, told the Assembly Education Committee the Christie administration has repeatedly failed to provide money in the budget to fully fund the formula.

He says Christie's proposal for state school aid to be based on an equal per pupil amount in every district would turn the clock back 50 years.

"It's a state aid redistribution plan for purposes of property tax relief, moving money away from the education of our most vulnerable kids, our highest poverty our most challenged districts, to other communities for purposes of lowering property taxes."

Sean Spiller with the New Jersey Education Association opposes Christie's plan as well as Senate President Sweeney's proposal to eliminate more than $500 million of aid to districts with declining student enrollment.

"Both of these proposals do have one thing in common, and that is that they are very divisive and do nothing to address the one billion shortfall in funding that should be the focus of our conversations."

Assembly Speaker Vinnie Prieto says he no set idea on how to change the funding formula and wants to use the legislative process to come to an agreement.

Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick doubts any school funding changes will actually pass in an election year. 

“It would be hard for me to believe that the Democrats are going to significantly change the way school funding is distributed in the state. I think it’s too much of a hot political potato in their caucus.”