Fairly allocating school aid in a manner that doesn’t discourage municipalities from increasing both their own tax base while also bringing additional state revenue to New Jersey makes common sense. For decades, Jersey City — and many other municipalities — gave out lucrative PILOTs because the amount of revenue the city received was actually greater than with a full assessment, while the school district received zero. This was blatantly unfair.
If you combine the funding the three school districts will receive under the proposed FY 2025 budget and calculate the percentages, Jersey City gets 15%, Union City 26% and Paterson 59% of that funding. Under a formula based on students eligible for the free lunch program that would change to 37.5% (or a 250% increase for Jersey City), 37.5% for Paterson and 25% for Union City, which will basically remain the same as is currently proposed.
In some off-the-record conversations with some legislators and former legislators, they agree with the unfairness of, and bemoan the “politics” of the state school aid formula. In fact, one Hudson County legislator went on record at a recent Democratic committee meeting breakfast proffering that increasing voter turnout for Democratic candidates will help with issues like how much state aid Jersey City receives! The quality of education our children receive cannot be based on the whim of legislative leaders and voter turnout.
This formula change would result in a $200 million increase in Jersey City’s school aid. If the payroll tax becomes a credit against the state aid amount (which is reasonable), the increase would still be well over $100 million. This correction in the formula is the single biggest way for us to deal with the immediate financial property tax situation we are facing.
While my suggestion may not be the only one, it clearly points out the pitfalls of the current one and the need to change to one that is NOT punitive to a single urban area. One that recognizes the ongoing needs inner city urban youth. I proffer, though, that any equitable formula will result in a substantial increase in state aid for schools.
I concur with The Jersey Journal that we need to come together to make our schools better. In fact, last November when I announced my candidacy, my cornerstone was that the city and board of ed need to become partners to ensure a bright future for our young people — and stop playing the blame game. That blame game has made it easier for the state to shortchange us!
Just pointing out low test scores in some schools and holding self-serving town hall meetings (a throwback to Bill Clinton days) will solve nothing and continue to make it easy for the state to shortchange us. The days of divide and conquer have to end now — and not be cannon fodder for a political campaign. Our children can’t afford to wait two years and be a political football.
There is a post-COVID need to help students catch up with basic skills. That need is real and immediate. Finding ways and funding to open more schools for after-hours recreational and academic programs is critical to improving the future for our young people. To do that, we will need resources from the local to federal level with corporate sponsorships from the business and development communities.
Coming together and demanding our fair share of state school aid is the important first step. I call on those legislators who represent Jersey City to start now as part of the State FY ‘25 budget process.
