Galloway School District to Receive Over $300,000 More in State Aid

The Galloway Township School District will receive over $300,000 in additional state aid compared to last year, according to figures released by Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 28.

The school district is slated to receive $23,572,868 in total state aid for the 2013-14 fiscal budget, up from $23,271,052 last year. The total difference is $301,816.

Meanwhile the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District, which includes Absegami High School, has been slated to receive $31,160,000, up from $30,670,338 last year. The total difference is $489,662.

Both districts are in the process of preparing their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

“This is $300,000 more than the aid we received for the current year,” Galloway Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette Giaquinto said by email Thursday afternoon. “However, it still does not equal the amount the state calculates we should be receiving nor does it cover increases in the budget dollars needed to operate the school district under the status quo.”

Three years ago, Gov. Christie cut state aid for the state’s school districts by a total of $29.3 billion.

Throughout the process, Galloway Schools Business Administrator Tim Kelley has stated the district would have to wait for state aid numbers before it could put forth a final proposed budget, due to the county by March 7.

A special public meeting concerning the budget has been scheduled for Tuesday night, March 5 at the middle school, 7 p.m.

The public hearing on the budget will take place on Monday night, March 25, at which the time the public will have the opportunity to have a final say and the school board will vote in the final budget.

Last year’s budget was $56,123,664.

A breakdown of the state aid totals for both school districts, and for all other districts in the state, is attached to this story as a PDF.