Belleville and every other public school district in the state has received an increase in state aid for the 2011-12 school year.
Belleville’s aid award, $23, 606, 213, represents an increase from last year of $578,728, according to figures released by the state Department of Education today.
“Last year, our state faced severe fiscal challenges, and we had to make some very difficult choices. Reductions to education funding were among the most agonizing of those choices,” Governor Chris Christie said in a statement accompanying the aid announcement. “Because of the foundation we set in last year's budget, and our responsible management of the state's finances, New Jersey is on firmer footing and we are able to put more funding into classrooms throughout New Jersey. However, more money on its own will not fix our education system.”
Belleville’s total budget was about $60 million in the last school year, 2009-10. This included expenses of $58.6 million versus revenues of $60.6 million, according to Belleville Board of Education figures posted on its web site.
This year’s budget goes before the voters April 27.
Other sources of revenue for the district include a small amount of federal aid along with local property taxes, which make up the bulk of revenues aside from funds provided by the state of New Jersey.
The Belleville Board of Education is scheduled to meet Wednesday, March 2 at 5:30 pm at the library of Belleville High School, 100 Passaic Ave., to adopt a tentative budget for the 2011-12 school year. The meeting is open to the public.
Click here for a complete listing of aid figures for every district in the state. Below are the aid figures for Essex County districts.
2011-2012 TOTAL AID
TOTAL CHANGE BELLEVILLE TOWN 22,606,213 2,647,333 23,184,941 578,728 BLOOMFIELD TWP 17,295,146 3,399,238 18,085,574 790,428 CALDWELL-WEST CALDWELL 0 385,304 385,304 385,304 CEDAR GROVE TWP 62,853 307,112 307,112 244,259 EAST ORANGE 169,391,625 5,772,439 171,439,168 2,047,543 ESSEX CO VOC-TECH 18,735,148 1,186,600 19,128,405 393,257 ESSEX FELLS BORO 0 38,962 38,962 38,962 FAIRFIELD TWP 13,001 118,074 118,074 105,073 GLEN RIDGE BORO 0 268,047 268,047 268,047 IRVINGTON TOWNSHIP 106,416,768 3,963,167 107,763,900 1,347,132 LIVINGSTON TWP 0 917,527 917,527 917,527 MILLBURN TWP 0 764,617 764,617 764,617 MONTCLAIR TOWN 3,549,764 3,916,173 4,648,780 1,099,016 NEWARK CITY 672,565,847 25,737,088 681,061,011 8,495,164 NORTH CALDWELL BORO 0 74,655 103,827 103,827 NUTLEY TOWN 5,204,183 2,243,967 5,743,568 539,385 CITY OF ORANGE TWP 63,369,306 2,643,417 64,149,442 780,136 ROSELAND BORO 63,368 138,740 138,740 75,372 SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD 1,189,380 2,250,169 2,250,169 1,060,789 VERONA BORO 70,811 345,983 345,983 275,172 WEST ESSEX REGIONAL 178,991 480,461 480,461 301,470 WEST ORANGE TOWN 3,469,601 3,892,676 4,681,569 1,211,968Find out what's happening in Belleville-Nutleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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