Estimates show aid could save thousands of teaching jobs as 80 percent of N.J. districts expect fewer returning teachers in fall semester
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in a June 2010 file photo.TRENTON — The Christie administration may not apply for $268 million in federal education aid up for a vote in Washington Tuesday, the governor’s spokesman said.
Some estimates show the aid could save thousands of teaching positions at a time when state budget cuts are squeezing New Jersey school districts. A survey released today said 80 percent of New Jersey districts will likely have fewer teachers returning in September.
The administration is concerned about what kind of "strings" might be attached to the federal money, part of a $26 billion package to be considered by the House of Representatives, said Michael Drewniak, spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, said today.
"It would be prudent in not committing entirely to the idea of taking this money unless we know ... what the impact is and the potential unintended consequences," Drewniak said.
But based on the bill, Christie would simply lose the option of how to distribute the federal aid if he refuses to apply for the funds. The bill passed last week by the Senate says the money would "bypass the state government" and be sent directly to "other entities" chosen by the U.S. Department of Education in states where governors do not apply.
Drewniak said the administration could not be certain what it would do until the ink was dry on President Obama’s signature. "Until that bill is signed by the president, nobody can know what the bill is going to say," Drewniak said.
If the state refuses to apply, affluent and suburban districts could lose out entirely because federal officials would likely send aid to poorer districts, said Steve Wollmer, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association.
"Is the governor saying he’d rather see teachers on the unemployment line rather than in front of their classrooms?" Wollmer said. "The governor has some decisions to make."
The funding could save 3,200 New Jersey teaching jobs, according to an estimate by the office of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).
More than 80 percent of school districts in New Jersey will likely have fewer teachers in the new school year, according to a survey released today by the New Jersey School Boards Association. About 40 percent of the state’s operating school districts responded to the survey.
Three-quarters of the districts blamed the cutbacks on state budget cuts of more than $1.2 billion over the last seven months. They said the fallout of the budget cuts include thinned teaching ranks, larger class sizes and fewer programs.
"It’s a tightening of the belt," association spokesman Frank Belluscio said. "Bottom line, there are going to be fewer teachers employed in the schools this year."
It’s unclear how many teaching slots will be eliminated this year. The NJEA estimates 10,000 jobs will be lost.
If the state decides it will accept this round of federal funding, the Christie administration is considering a plan that would partially reverse budget cuts signed in June. Drewniak said it could go to districts "on a pro-rated basis based on how budgets were trimmed."
Christie spread out cuts to school districts so no district lost more than 5 percent of its budget. That meant some districts — including many richer, suburban districts — saw all their state aid wiped out.
Others that rely heavily on state aid, such as Newark, still saw a massive chunk taken out of their budget. Newark lost more than $42 million in aid and slashed 350 teaching jobs. A reshuffling of staff, however, meant there will be only about fewer 220 classroom teachers than last year out of about 4,000 positions, district spokeswoman Valerie Merritt said.