Early Look at OLS Report Reveals Many Districts Will See Net Loss in State Money

Under Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed fiscal 2014 budget, almost half of New Jersey school districts will see a net loss in the amount they receive from the state next year, according to a new legislative analysis.

The main culprit is the extra bill for debt service on school construction grants, said the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services in its annual analysis of the governor's proposed $13.3 billion education budget.

Factoring in that money, it found that about 270 districts -- or 48 percent -- will see net losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $200,000 in Barnegat and East Brunswick.

Others on average will see about a 10 percent reduction in their publicized increases in direct formula aid, according to the report. The local assessments for the grants from the Schools Development Authority are rising from $21 million to $34 million next year, more than 60 percent.

NJ Spotlight obtained an advanced copy of the OLS report on the eve of today's Assembly Budget Committee meeting, which will center on Christie’s education spending for next year. State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf is slated to testify, as is SDA executive director Marc Larkins.

The OLS analysis raises a number of the hot issues sure to be debated -- or argued over -- in the budget hearings. The SDA assessments already have the districts churning, but the agency's assessment also trains the spotlight on planned spending on controversial programs liked charter schools and the school vouchers pilot.

Concerning the latter, the state Department of Education offers the first details of the planned $2 million pilot, including how the department is starting to set up the program for launch by next fall.

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