TOMS RIVER – While many residents are hopeful about the $50 million in aid to help the school districts, teachers and other school employees are cautious of this proposal.
The district is impacted by S-2, a law which changed how much “adjustment aid” schools receive from the state. Districts that were considered more wealthy, with declining enrollment, received less aid. Districts have said that they are the victim of funding formulas that are outdated or full of mistakes.
In Toms River schools (which include South Toms River, Beachwood and Pine Beach), S-2 will cut more than $90 million in state aid over the course of several years, including $2.8 million in the 2019-2020 budget.
It was brought to the town’s attention in a Toms River Council meeting that the school aid Governor Phil Murphy proposed for struggling school districts may not be as promising as it sounds. The $50 million in “stabilization aid” was part of Murphy’s Feb. 25 budget address.
Board of Education member Michele Williams attended the meeting to represent the Toms River School District and disclose important information that she found out about the new budget proposition.
“About the governor’s message today, about an hour before he went on, David Healy our superintendent received a call that, yes, there is going to be $50 million for school districts like Toms River, but there is a caveat,” she said.
Williams revealed how there is a long process in order for the school district to receive any type of money.
The state budget is supposed to be approved and finalized in June and if so, an application process for the aid will take place in July, she said. Any district can apply and must state why they are in need of additional aid. Once all applications are received, districts will be individually contacted to schedule a meeting with a committee where they will be required to provide testimony to support the application. Then, any decisions regarding any aid distribution will not be made until late fall.
“This does not help us at all for the 2020-21 school year,” Williams stated. “There’s no guarantees that we would get all or any part of our request.”
Williams told the council that the budget needs to be submitted as soon as possible.
“Keep in mind we need to get our budget to the state by May 14,” Williams stated. It is critical to get the budget in as it affects the upcoming school year. The $50 million school aid is a step in the right direction, but is too late to help the current school year. The aid can cover the next school year, but is not guaranteed to be continued throughout future years.
Council President Maria Maruca encouraged residents to contact the governor and their state representatives and push for aid to be delivered to Toms River schools.
