Belmar Schools Facing 8% State Aid Cut For 2022-23

BELMAR, NJ — Belmar schools will have its state school funding cut by more than 8 percent for the 2022-23 school year, under state aid figures released by the state Department of Education.

Belmar is among 200 school districts whose aid is being slashed under Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

Murphy's administration proposed $9.2 billion for New Jersey pre-K to 12 schools, including an additional $649.8 million for K-12 aid to put K-12 "formula" aid at $9.92 billion.

Belmar is slated to receive $766,357 in aid for 2022-23, $69,229 less than the district received in 2021-22 with $835,586.

The incoming aid breakdown includes $181,768 in transportation aid, $320,357 in special education aid, $105,823 in adjustment aid and $158,409 in security aid.

Belmar and other school districts are still waiting for the state Department of Education to turn over the data and formula codes that go with the algorithm the state says is used to determine the aid distribution.

The education department was ordered to turn over the data and codes in a January ruling by a state judge, who has granted the state extra time to fulfill the Open Public Records Act request that the judge ruled had been unlawfully denied, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The data and codes are needed to check to see if the state's math on state aid is correct, officials have said.