Brick Schools Release Details For March On Trenton

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township School District has released details on its plans to participate the march on Trenton by school districts that are losing state aid under S2.

The march, set for Tuesday, March 5 at the Statehouse, aims to highlight how many students in districts affected by the law that was passed last year. Under S2, districts receiving so-called "adjustment aid" are having that funding taken away over the course of the next six years, on the premise those districts are not raising their fair share of school funding through their local property tax levy.

In Brick, the cuts will amount to $42 million cumulatively and, if they go through, will force the district to make serious cuts, district officials said on a flier about the march it distributed on Friday.

More than 290 staff positions could be cut, which could result in more than 30 students per class, the flier says, and extracurricular activities could either be cut completely or require payment for students to participate.

S2 was pushed for more than two years by Sen. President Stephen Sweeney, who insists that districts receiving that money are overfunded. In addition to taking state funding away, S2 requires districts that are under adequacy to increase their property tax levy by the maximum 2 percent. Brick is currently $11.5 million under adequacy, meaning it is spending $11.5 million less on educating the township's children than the state says is necessary for a thorough and efficient education.

Brick is one of nine districts suing the state Department of Education over the issue, saying it's the department's responsibility to distribute aid fairly to all districts.

Those wishing to join the district in the March on Trenton can sign up for one of the buses that will carry people from Brick to the rally; there are 200 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The buses will leave at 11:30 a.m. from the former Foodtown site on Route 70 in Brick. Those who want to attend also are being urged to carpool to the rally.

"The funding formula has always been critically flawed, and the 'revised' version is even worse," the flier says.

It notes that Brick's cost per pupil is in the bottom 22 percent of districts in the state, and that the district has the 9th lowest administrative costs per pupil. The district also is still recovering from SuperStorm Sandy, including a loss of $309 million in current ratables.

For those planning to drive, here is a link to Trenton parking garages.

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