Ridgewood Schools Getting $1.69M in State Aid This Year

, the Ridgewood Public Schools will be receiving a helping hand from the state in the form of aid.

After seeing its state aid entirely dashed by Governor Chris Christie in 2010-2011, Ridgewood will be receiving $1,698,500 for 2011-2012.

The move is part of Christie's aid allocation of $850 million, which includes an additional $450 million for the so-called low-performing, state-controlled "Abbott Districts," he had initially cut before the state Supreme Court ruled against his measure; $150 million has been allocated to the "non-Abbots."

"With this new funding, total state aid to education will be higher in Fiscal Year 2012 than it was when Governor Christie took office," the governor's office said in a statement released Tuesday, the date the allocation was finalized.

It may be a bittersweet gain for Ridgewood. The restoration of $1.69 million represents slightly more than half of the nearly $3 million cut in 2010-2011, a move that forced the district to make unprecedented cuts to programming and staff.

"It is great to receive even more partial restoration of the $2.9 plus million we were cut in 2010-2011," Ridgewood Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Daniel Fishbein said last week, when State Sen. Kevin O'Toole announced the aid restoration was imminent.

When asked if the district had particular plans for the money coming in, the superintendent said Tuesday, "There is still no definitive work on how the partially restored state aid can be used."

Fishbein, who told Patch Friday he'd be "disappointed" if there were restrictions on how the money is used, said Tuesday he's heard the details are still being worked out in Trenton.

Christie, still trumpeting a message of massive reforms on teacher evaluations, and health and benefit reforms, released .

Reforms remain high on his agenda, as well as Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf's.

"Being able to provide additional education funding to districts this year further affirms this Administration’s commitment to ensuring each and every child in New Jersey receives a quality education," said Cerf in a statement.

"It is now time to focus on aggressive education reform, concentrating on improving standards, assessments, and curriculum; strengthening the use of performance and accountability data; improving educator effectiveness; and investing in innovative models of educational delivery."

The district's 2011-2012 , representing a flat 2 percent increase under the 'new normal' cap. Taxes will increase $190.90 for the average homeowner with a home assessed at $797,422.

There will be no programming or staffing cuts for the upcoming year and the district is currently in negotiations with teachers, whose contract ran out at the end of June.