On August 5, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced, via news release, the launch of a statewide school funding outreach effort to review and revise our school funding formula to better meet the needs of students, schools and districts. The release announces a multi-pronged effort .to “overhaul New Jersey’s school funding system” and “bring together families, educators, students, school leaders, legislators, advocates, community partners, and taxpayers to build a shared understanding of how school funding works today and to identify ways to make the system more predictable, transparent, accountable, fair, and responsive to student needs.” The outreach campaign will focus on updating our formula, the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), to cost out what is needed for every New Jersey student to receive a thorough and efficient education under the N.J. Constitution. The effort will also seek to examine current cost pressures on districts, to provide stability and predictability within the formula, address local fair share issues and promote a broader public understanding of our school funding system.
The DOE has already begun its efforts by meeting with key stakeholder groups including NJPSA. Stakeholder outreach will also be achieved through the following:
- The DOE has already put together a group of 50 diverse stakeholder organizations to serve as a steering committee for these school funding review efforts. In September, the steering committee, led by NJDOE Commissioner Dr. Lily Laux, will work on reviewing potential formula improvements. The committee will review research, data, and national best practices around school funding. NJPSA Executive Director Karen Bingert will serve on the steering committee. The full list of invited organizations and additional information may be found on the NJDOE’s Statewide School Funding Outreach webpage.
- The NJDOE is also seeking to better inform the public on our school funding system. The department will soon release and post on its website, resources and materials to better explain our complex funding system. The resources will include a series of information videos, fact sheets and more to break down the elements of our funding system.
The first installment in the series, which explains the history and key components of NJ’s funding formula, is available here.
- To stay informed, NJPSA encourages all members to sign up for the NJDOE’s email newsletter which will provide updates during this statewide discussion. You can sign up here.
For additional information, please visit the NJDOE’s Statewide School Funding Outreach webpage or reach out to the NJPSA Government Relations team!