Earlier today, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the official state budget for 2021. This year’s budget has been derailed by the pandemic, forcing the legislature to postpone the process and borrow significant funds to bridge the gap between falling revenues and rising expenses.
Although there were deep cuts to many departments and agencies, the overall budget is a positive one for our community, said Rabbi Avi Schnall, director of Agudath Israel’s New Jersey Office. Rabbi Schnall pointed to three key areas pertaining to nonpublic school funding where there have been considerable increases in funding.
The state’s Nonpublic School Security Program was increased from $150 to $175 per student, making New Jersey’s per-student allocation the highest in the nation. Additionally, as medical-related expenses are expected to surge this year, the State increased Nonpublic Nursing Services Aid from $97 to $102 per student, a modest $5 per-student increase.
Most notably, for the first time in seven years, the Nonpublic Auxiliary Services Aid (Special Education) was increased by $2.1 million, from $31 to $33 million. This increase is particularly important: The overall allocation for nonpublic special education funding in New Jersey has remained static for the past seven years, even as the number of eligible students grew. The discrepancy between the stagnant total allocation and increasing number of needy students resulted in a substantial decrease in the amount each student received.
Due to concerns over the dwindling funds voiced by educators and parents alike, the New Jersey Office of Agudath Israel engaged in a multi-year campaign to get the allocation increased for every child to receive their fair share. In the last year, under the aegis of the Agudah, scores of parents took part in a letter-writing campaign to their representatives asking them to appropriate additional funds. Rabbi Schnall testified in the Senate at the final public hearing on the budget before the pandemic, asking legislators to increase the allocation as necessary. Rabbi Schnall saw his efforts finally bear fruit when the legislature inserted the additional funding.
Aside the benefit of students receiving more robust services, Rabbi Schnall noted other positive outcomes of the additional funding. “We have been advocating for this for years now, and although there is still some way to go until we get to where we need to be, the fact that for the first time in seven years the funding has increased instead of remaining flat means we finally broke the ice,” said Rabbi Schnall. “Moreover, if we were able to get a $2.1 million increase in a year that the State was facing a multi-billion dollar loss in revenue, it gives us hope that in a normal year, we’ll be able to get the funding back to where it needs to be.”
The Agudah is grateful to Assemblyman Gary Schaer of Passaic for his vital work in facilitating these increases and for his nonstop work on behalf of our community. In addition, we appreciate the continued friendship of Governor Phil Murphy and his administration who continue to demonstrate that all of New Jersey’s student’s deserve a quality education.
“Good news”?!
Let’s do the arithmetic: an average frum family in NJ pays about 12k in property taxes, most of which goes to the public schools. I won’t even mention another 8k in NJ state income tax, a portion of which goes to public schools, too. There’s also a NJ sales tax, a gasoline tax, and a cost of bureaucratic obstructionism – but who is counting!
NJ pays about 15-20k a year for each public school student, by the way.
So, a measly hundred bucks worth of the government-cheese is “good news”, while they are stealing thousands from our pockets, and use our money to pay for indoctrination of a new generation of the Democratic voters, devoid of critical thinking skills, and to purchase votes from the teachers’ union?!
The only “good news” would be if the Democratic party was defeated and disappeared in the trash bin of history. It’s time that our “representatives” understood this; or we’ll just have to find someone else to represent us.
send to public school if you want your money. the state owes you nothing.
Dear 1:50 pm public-school-educated socialist-fascist, precisely: the state doesn’t owe me nothing; and the same state has no business being involved in education and charity, while taking from my pocket. Let the state be concerned primarily with law enforcement, fire fighting, courts of justice, and roads. Everything else, is stealing tax money from those that produce and purchasing the votes of parasites.
1151
why should the state finance those things either. let the other guy worry about fires and crimes “not my problem”. a well funded public school system benefits society the same way police and fireman do etc.
Dear late night 2:19am feeble-minded socialist-fascist, really can’t tell the difference?! Let me help you out: ideally people should live their lives without any government involvement. However, some things, such as roads, justice system, and public safety can’t be done without a government – if you discover a way to run those without a government, explain how. Education and charity don’t need a government; in fact, those are run much for effectively by the private sector.
Besides, a contemporary public school system doesn’t benefit society nor its graduates in any way: they are funded at 20k per student per year, which is three times as much as yeshivos survive upon while teaching the double curriculum, yet the public school establishment refuses to teach any life essential skills, such as critical thinking, math, science, and English – instead the public school kids are brainwashed into the fascist-socialist zombies who are doomed to failure.
1151. funny to assume I went to public school way off the mark
Git Geezoogt.
Still no Tax Credits!!!
It’s coming and better than you expect.
of course. any reason matzav censors my comments when they come to advocating no money for yeshivas until they fix the problem of children who get the short end of the stick without yeshivas to deliver them a jewish education?
you should be ashamed maybe I talk from personal experience. you should be embarrassed to practice such deceit! how dare you! explain to me why yeshivas should get dollars from the government when they are selective which jews are accepted on the teyva to be rescued. atleast the public schools have an open door policy.
Where is my $1200 check?
Dear late night 2:19am feeble-minded socialist-fascist, really can’t tell the difference?! Let me help you out: ideally people should live their lives without any government involvement. However, some things, such as roads, justice system, and public safety can’t be done without a government – if you discover a way to run those without a government, explain how. Education and charity don’t need a government; in fact, those are run much for effectively by the private sector.
Besides, a contemporary public school system doesn’t benefit society nor its graduates in any way: they are funded at 20k per student per year, which is three times as much as yeshivos survive upon while teaching the double curriculum, yet the public school establishment refuses to teach any life essential skills, such as critical thinking, math, science, and English – instead the public school kids are brainwashed into the fascist-socialist zombies who are doomed to failure.
You’ve said that already.