New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget cuts education aid
Wednesday, March 17, 2010

By STEPHEN J. NOVAK
The Express-Times

Educators knew cuts were going to be included in the 2010-11 budget Gov. Chris Christie unveiled Tuesday.

They'll have to wait another day to see just what $820 million in school aid cuts look like.

School districts are scheduled to learn today how much aid they're getting and nearly all can expect a cut, though reductions will vary based on factors such as enrollment changes and the number of severely disabled special-education students.

Christie said no individual district would see more than a 5 percent cut in their budgets.

Poor urban schools will be hit the hardest because their budgets rely on a higher percentage of state aid, with some getting more than 90 percent of their budgets from the state.

David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, which represents students in the state's poorest cities, said any cut to school aid would require approval from the state Supreme Court.

"The governor cannot unilaterally disregard the court decision," he said.

Warren Hills Regional Superintendent Pete Merluzzi said programs and staff could be at risk in his district.

"If the cuts are as bad as they are saying they might be, we will probably have to make some staff reductions," he said.

After-school programs that receive funding through the New Jersey After 3 program are also facing cuts. The governor has proposed cutting all state support for After 3.

Family Guidance Center of Warren County, based in Phillipsburg, has received $137,000 annually from After 3 for after-school activities in Washington Borough. But state cuts in December already forced Family Guidance to raise its parental fees from $50 to $70, and a total reduction in After 3 help would likely cause those fees to double, said center Executive Director Rich McDonnell.

"These programs allow parents to work. If these cuts force parents to (alter their work schedules), that's going to affect the tax revenue," McDonnell said. "I understand they have to cut because the state is so bad, but these kinds of cuts just don't make sense to me."

Merluzzi said many of the education cuts result from poor planning at the state level.

"Nobody (on the state level) was sitting there during good times saying, hey, we shouldn't be spending this money," Merluzzi said. "Now we have to give something back."

Christie also proposed Tuesday reforms that would not allow union contracts to exceed imposed levy caps and would require new contracts include cost sharing for health benefits and other mandates.

State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler said a set of reforms proposed by the governor -- capping property tax increases at 2.5 percent and making school employees contribute to the costs of their health plans -- could help schools when the economy is strong.

The state also plans to move ahead with its program of building new schools in the poorest districts. Suburban schools could see their debt service assistance for construction reduced.