South Brunswick Schools Invites Participants To Advocacy Committee

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The South Brunswick School District has formally launched an advocacy committee to help combat state aid cuts.

The committee was formally announced in September, as reported by Patch, with the charge led by Board President Lisa Rodgers. The announcement was made to the community by Rodgers and Superintendent Scott Feder in a letter.

The group’s aim will be to urge Trenton to find solutions to funding needs in the district.

“We are sure that by now you have heard about the massive cuts our district has received in State Aid funding amounting already to $9,000,000 lost. Sadly, the current school funding formula that is being used by the State of NJ to determine State Aid currently shows that we are scheduled to lose an additional $5,000,000 for next year’s school budget. The cuts we have already received have been drastic, but next year, if nothing changes in Trenton, the cuts to our district will be extensive across all aspects of the schools,” Feder and Rodgers said in their letter.

“As a district, we must unite in advocacy to challenge and work with Trenton lawmakers on solutions that preserve the funding needed to continue providing the high-quality education we do now. These cuts keep us mired in figuring out ways to keep what we provide now when it would be our goal to spend this time focusing on how to continue to improve and grow our programs.”

The BOE and school district are inviting interested community members to be part of the advocacy committee.

“We need your advocacy and a focused and comprehensive plan to address these cuts and the funding formula responsible. It is our hope that the creation of such a committee will prove to be a key factor in stopping the continued carnage of our State funding,” Feder and Rodgers said.

The committee will be meeting in the next few months to discuss the impact of the aid cuts. Here are the dates:

• Meeting 1, Wednesday, Nov. 15
• Meeting 2, Wednesday, Dec. 13
• Meeting 3, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024
• Meeting 4 Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024

After the initial meetings, the group will decide if more are needed.

“Our goal is to build a diverse committee of township stakeholders who represent the entirety of our town; this is not just a school matter as reduced State Aid to schools has an impact on residents. We are looking for school personnel, district administration and supervisors, Township membership, seniors, parents, business owners and community members. This work impacts all who want to live, work, or operate a business in our town, which is why we are looking for this expanded group of interested folks,” Feder and Rodgers said.

Residents who are interested in joining the committee, need to fill out an application. This application is due Friday. Successful candidates will hear from the district the following week. Click here to access the application form.

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