Christie Unveils New School Funding Plan; NJEA Calls It 'Despicable'

Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday unveiled a plan that would change New Jersey's school funding formula to provide a per-student amount across the state.

During an event in Hillsborough, Christie called the current system "broken" and laid out a plan that would give an equal amount of $6,599 per enrolled student. That number was tallied by taking $9.1 billion spent by New Jersey this year and dividing it among every student in grades kindergarten through 12, northjersey.com reported.

The governor, who says a disproportionate amount of funding has gone to a minority of underperforming schools across New Jersey over the past 31 years, said his plan would save taxpayers thousands of dollars each year.

The proposal, however, was met with immediate pushback from the New Jersey Education Association, with officials there saying Christie is simply trying to deflect attention from his previous education policy failures.

In a statement released by the governor’s office Tuesday, blame was laid on the state’s “Abbott” districts – 31 school districts in court-classified “poorer urban” areas – for taking up so much of the state’s taxpayer money and funding aid.

“No child in this state is worth more state aid than another. No family in this state should have to disproportionately pay — you’ve got a bigger house, you’re going to pay more in property taxes, you’ve got more land, you’re going to pay more in property taxes — that’s not what I’m talking about," the governor said.

He continued: "We’re talking about 546 districts having to divide $88 billion over the last 30 years and 31 districts dividing $97 billion. Where did the money go? And what did you get in return for it? But an even more important question than what did you get in return for it — what did those children and their families get in return for it?”

NJEA's president said the proposal would be a "huge" step backward and is a mere distraction from the governor's record on education.

“Having never once funded the state’s existing formula, he has no basis for assessing its effectiveness," NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer said. "New Jersey has a progressive school funding formula that acknowledges the need to invest the most resources in students who have the greatest needs. Gov. Christie has made a mockery of that formula and the values it represents since he took office.”

“By sending equal dollar amounts per pupil to each district, regardless of need, his plan would subsidize those who have the most at the expense of those who have the least. That is the opposite of fair; it’s despicable,” Steinhauer added.

But Christie's office said money is not the solution to ensuring a better education.

“More money does not guarantee better academic performance, and the Christie Administration is determined to forge a new path that provides equal funding for the education of each student,” the governor’s office said.