TRENTON — Many New Jersey school boards are scrambling to solve a new problem. They need to figure out how to spend bigger allocations of state money than they were expecting to receive. The state budget adopted late last month called for about $850 million more in state subsidies than the previous year. About half that amount was added...
Fair Lawn High School teachers Erik Miller and Jennifer Ferrara protest outside Gov. Chris Christie's town hall meeting in June.TRENTON — Many New Jersey school boards are scrambling to solve a new problem.
They need to figure out how to spend bigger allocations of state money than they were expecting to receive.
The state budget adopted late last month called for about $850 million more in state subsidies than the previous year. About half that amount was added at the end of the budget process.
The increase brings some districts back to the funding levels they had before deep cuts in state aid a year ago.
The state expects most middle-class school districts to use the added funds to reduce property taxes. But the most impoverished districts will use the money for educational programs.
The deadline for districts to figure out their allocations is 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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• N.J. public school districts to receive at least 2 percent funding increase