New Jersey desperately needs a school-funding system that is fair and stable, while alleviating the burden on property taxpayers, NJSBA’s chief lobbyist told the Legislature this week.

“There should be no higher priority for Governor Corzine and the Legislature than a new school-funding system,” Michael A. Vrancik, NJSBA’s Director of Governmental Relations, explained in testimony submitted to both the Assembly Budget Committee and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

“How New Jersey will fund education is at the core of the quality of life for our children,” Vrancik said. “We need a fair and sustainable formula that will adequately support education, without overburdening taxpayers.”

Five-Year Impact NJSBA’s testimony—also sent to each legislator individually—stressed the impact of five years of stagnant state aid.

“The latest National Education Association report that compares states found that New Jersey state government covers less than 37 percent of the cost of public education. The average state pays nearly half,” Vrancik said in his testimony. “Instead of moving closer to a 50-50 funding level between state and local sources, we in New Jersey have been moving in the wrong direction.

“These past five years haven’t come without a cost. Taxpayers suffered. Schools suffered,” Vrancik said. “By last year, New Jersey’s under-funding of schools had reached $846 million – and that was just for one year.”

Flexibility Needed Vrancik acknowledged the governor’s proposed $300-million state aid increase for 2007-2008.

“This is the first budget since 2002 that turns state funding for schools in the right direction.”

However, the NJSBA official called for more flexibility in the implementation of 2007-2008 state aid.

“The governor says he wants to put school aid where it’s needed most, and no one disputes that it’s a noble and worthwhile goal,” he said. “Much of the state aid comes in the form of ‘targeted at-risk aid,’ which must be used for new or expanded programs. In short, it comes with strings attached.

“Unfortunately, because the use of so much of the new state aid is restricted, property taxes will not be affected as much as expected at first.”

Academic Performance Vrancik noted that even though schools throughout the state have struggled with chronic underfunding, numerous reports and research have found the academic performance of New Jersey public schools to be among the best in the nation.

“Over the past five hard years, schools have done more with less. They’ve delivered,” Vrancik said.