Hoboken Schools To Lose 9 Percent State Aid For Next Year

HOBOKEN, NJ — Public schools, and their students, can always use more funds, but the Hoboken school district is unlikely to get any surprise gifts in the form of state aid during the next school year. In fact, numbers released on Thursday say the city will get less state aid for the 2020-2021 school year than the current year, forcing the district to find other ways to fill the gap.

On Thursday, the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy released proposed state aid numbers for every school district. A total of 193 school districts, or about a third, will see a decrease under his school funding plan (see list here). However, overall, state aid for all districts is expected to increase 3.8 percent next year.

The plan still requires approval from the state legislature.

Hoboken, as well as several other Hudson County towns, faces a loss next year.

According to the numbers released Thursday, the district will get 8.95 percent less state aid for grades K-12 next year than during the current year.

Jersey City is losing 14.5 percent of its aid and Weehawken is losing 6.4 percent.

Hoboken Board of Education President Sharyn Angley said on Thursday that the district just got the numbers that day, so it was too early for her to comment. She said that officials were anticipating a loss, so it wasn't unexpected. She said the district will have more to say next month when a preliminary budget is introduced in mid-March.

The preliminary budget hearing will likely be held some time after the next school board meeting, which is to be held March 10.

Last year's $78.6 million budget had to account for a loss of $450,000 in state aid.

However, the district does get other kinds of aid, including federal aid for various programs.

Some districts will have to make up for the loss by finding other revenue sources (such as raising property taxes), tightening their budgets, or starting layoffs.

The Hoboken school board has recently opposed the expansions of Hoboken charter schools, fearing that the district would have to allocate more funds to these newer schools without getting an increase in aid to make up for it.