State School Aid—Promised, But Not Guaranteed

State School Aid—Promised, But Not Guaranteed

Just how secure is Gov. Jon Corzine’s promise of additional school aid this year? Although the governor has publicly committed to an additional $532 million in state aid for schools, the proposal is not a guarantee.

The governor’s commitment of additional school aid was coupled with the state’s new education-funding formula, the School Funding Reform Act of 2008, which was signed into law early last month.

However, the additional aid will be reflected in Corzine’s annual state budget, a proposal that is due at the end of this month. In mid-March the Legislature will begin deliberating over the governor’s proposal, and will ultimately introduce an appropriations bill. The governor cannot add to the Legislature’s budget bill—only cut—and the governor cannot restore funding that the Legislature has trimmed away.

While no legislators have said they want to cut school aid in order to balance the state’s fiscal woes, there is nothing that would prevent the Legislature from introducing an appropriations package with less school funding than the governor promised.

NJSBA encourages school board members to work diplomatically and positively with their state lawmakers to impress upon them the need to support the governor’s full request for state school aid.