State Aid For Howell School District Down For Another Year

HOWELL, NJ — The Howell K-8 school district was among several in western Monmouth County that saw a decrease in state aid this year - down by 7.79 percent.

The district confirmed the figures Monday. The decrease was not as large as some districts encountered. For example, Colts Neck decreased by about 30 percent, one of the largest decreases in the state.

Still, some districts saw increases. Holmdel, for example, saw an estimated 15 percent increase, according to state aid figures released last Thursday.

For 2024, the total state aid for Howell's elementary school district is $20,601,309, down $1,740,923 - or a 7.79 percent decrease. In 2022-2023, Howell received $22,342,232 in total state aid, and that was a reduction from the year before.

On the state level, Gov. Murphy and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan last week unveiled the $20.5 billion budget for education.

According to the Governor's Office, the proposed budget will provide "historic levels of school aid, with an increase in $1 billion over the prior year for a total of $20.5 billion in school funding."

This amount includes pre-K funding, pension and benefits funding for school staff, and an increase in $832 million in total K-12 formula aid, the Governor's Office said in a news release.

District allocations of state aid are available on the DOE’s School Finance webpage.

Last year, the Howell district's school budget was reduced by 11.21 percent, which was more than the reduction the year before that. Howell's $22,342,232 in state aid last year was a decrease of $2,821,446 from the previous year.

According to state figures, statewide more than 400 New Jersey school districts will receive increased state funding next year, while 157 will see the amount decrease.

Since the 2020-21 school year, the state has determined its annual distribution of education aid through S2 — a controversial funding formula passed in 2018, Murphy's first year in office.

The governor has defended S2, saying the funding formula had to change to address inequities within the state. FY2024 would be the sixth of seven state budgets that S2 will impact, with the goal of fully funding education under the formula by 2025.