Fort Lee's School Aid More Than Doubles in Governor's Budget

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is providing an additional $250 million for New Jersey schools in his fiscal year 2012 budget. Aid figures released Wednesday by the Department of Education show an increase for every school district in the state.

For Fort Lee that means $951,643 in special education aid for grades K-12, an increase of $565,960 in total aid over last year.

During Christie’s on Tuesday, he said that municipal aid, which was cut last year, would not be further reduced so as to enable "local governments to control property taxes."

Municipal aid numbers also released Wednesday revealed Fort Lee's proposed allocation to be $1,771,192.

But in a DOE press release Wednesday, the governor sounded a different note on education.

“Last year, our state faced severe fiscal challenges, and we had to make some very difficult choices.  Reductions to education funding were among the most agonizing of those choices,” Christie said. “Because of the foundation we set in last year's budget, and our responsible management of the state's finances, New Jersey is on firmer footing and we are able to put more funding into classrooms throughout New Jersey. However, more money on its own will not fix our education system. We must continue to vigorously pursue education reforms to fundamentally change public education, focused on achieving results for children, rewarding excellence in the classroom and demanding accountability throughout the system.”

School budgets are due to the County Superintendent's Office by March 4. The preliminary budget can be amended during the public budget hearing at the end of March.

Highlights of Christie’s education budget include:

• Every school district is receiving an increase in K – 12 state aid this year.
• Approximately one quarter of a billion dollars of new money is being added to direct state aid.
• About $219 million of that new money is being added to the school funding formula spending, an increase of 3.2 percent in K – 12 formula aid.
• More than $11 million is being added to support expansion of the Inter-district School Choice program.
• Over $4 million is being added in state funding for public charter schools.
• The total pre-school appropriation will not be reduced from the current spending level.
• Non-public school funding will remain the same.

State aid figures for New Jersey’s school districts can be found here.

For the municipal aid numbers check here.