School Districts to See Minimimal State Aid Increases in 2015

The Gloucester Township and Black Horse Pike Regional school districts will see minimal increases in state aid for the 2014-15 school year, according to numbers released by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) on Thursday.

The Gloucester Township School District will receive an increase of $130,450, translating to a total of $50,849,479 in state aid. It is a 0.3 percent increase.

The Black Horse Pike Regional School District will receive an increase of $8,120, translating to a total of $4,590,422 in state aid. It is a 0.2 percent increase.

Camden County schools will see an extra $2,895,010, a 0.4 percent increase as a county from last year.

Overall, state aid for the K-12 school districts are the highest in the history of the state, according to the NJDOE. Nearly $37 million in additional aid brings the total number over the $9 billion mark.

Two days earlier, Gov. Chris Christie proposed a $34.4 billion fiscal year budget for 2015. School state aid figures must be announced within 48 hours of the budget address.

“Our Fiscal Year 2015 Budget provides the most funding in New Jersey history for education for a fourth year in a row,” Christie said in a prepared statement. “By committing more than $12.9 billion, we are furthering this Administration’s commitment to ensure that every child, no matter where they live, has the opportunity for a quality education. With a record-setting $9 billion in direct aid to schools, nearly $40 million more than the previous year, we are continuing the path of education reform necessary for students to succeed in the 21st century.”

The increase boosts statewide aid from $8.977 billion this year to $9.014 billion in 2015.

“In spite of enormous economic challenges, state funding for New Jersey’s public schools is at the highest levels ever,” Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said. “New Jersey’s commitment to education includes additional funding to promote innovation such as longer school days and school years; upgrading technology for use in the classroom and for high-quality assessments; and providing local school officials with a great deal of decision-making authority to focus on improving academics in their hometown schools.”