188 School Districts May Have To Raise Taxes To Stop NJ Shutdown

Watch your wallet: You may have to fork over a lot more money to avert a possible New Jersey government shutdown, now the subject of a showdown between Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers.

Patch ranked school districts, from top to bottom, that may have to pay extra money in 2018-19 if $615 million in state is cut from state aid. Lawmakers have suggested that these districts would have to raise taxes to compensate for the potential loss in aid.

The list comes from the Education Law Center’s analysis of the impact of the proposed aid cuts proposed by Senate President Steve Sweeney, who has threatened a shutdown if the state aid isn't cut.

See list of New Jersey school districts that could be impacted below.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers are preparing for a possible shutdown that's been threatened by Sweeney who wants to cut $615 million in state aid from 188 districts over the next five to seven years.

The Murphy administration also sent out a contingency plan 10 days ago since Sweeney said at an earlier press conference that, after shutting down the government last year, "I'm willing to do it again."

At issue is Sweeney's strong push for legislation that would modify the state's school funding law, phasing out the so-called "adjustment aid" that, he believes, compensates districts that don't need it anymore.

Sweeney has proposed changes to New Jersey’s school funding formula – the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) – which, if enacted, could impact thousands of students in two-thirds of all legislative districts and all but one county in the state, according to the Education Law Center, a long-time advocacy group that has pushed for increased funding of education.

Sweeney’s proposal would phase in cuts to “adjustment aid,” the categorical funding designed to prevent steep drops in school budgets as districts transitioned to the SFRA formula.

The bill would cut the adjustment aid each district received in the 2017-18 school year over seven years, beginning in 2018-19 through the 2024-25 school year, by the following percentages: 5 percent, 13 percent, 23 percent, 37 percent, 55 percent, 76 percent and 100 percent.

The bill singles-out county vocational school districts for special treatment, allowing these districts to keep their adjustment aid to hold them harmless from any aid cuts, according to the Education Law Center.

But the bill would also trigger successive and deep funding cuts in schools serving students in urban, suburban and rural districts across the state. These cuts, in turn, will cause reductions in teachers, support staff and other essential resources, according to the Education Law Center.

“In many districts, the aid cuts in S2 are so large that there is no realistic way for the districts to make up the loss by raising local revenue,” said David Sciarra, ELC Executive Director. “Even worse, the cuts will drive many district budgets below the level of spending for a constitutional ‘thorough and efficient’ education under the SFRA formula.”

Here are the districts and how much they could lose during the 2018-19 school year, ranked highest to lowest:

1. Jersey City, Hudson $7,571,457
2. Freehold Regional, Monmouth $1,260,582
3. Pemberton Twp, Burlington $1,228,119
4. Asbury Park, Monmouth $1,217,430
5. East Orange, Essex $1,127,292
6. Brick Twp, Ocean $1,116,747
7. Toms River Regional, Ocean $988,678
8. Manalapan-Englishtown, Monmouth $647,209
9. Jackson Twp, Ocean $630,574
10. Vernon Twp, Sussex $522,566
11. Washington Twp, Gloucester $467,187
12. Hopatcong, Sussex $456,301
13. Vineland, Cumberland $411,900
14. Evesham Twp, Burlington $399,821
15. Howell Twp, Monmouth $399,731
16. Neptune Twp, Monmouth $359,240
17. Lenape Regional, Burlington $359,232
18. WestMilford Twp, Passaic $351,310
19. Jefferson Twp, Morris $326,639
20. Old Bridge Twp, Middlesex $326,399
21. Lower Cape May Regional, Cape May $323,187
22. Hillsborough, Somerset $320,930
23. Keansburg, Monmouth $320,847
24. Roxbury Twp, Morris $301,697
25. Middletown, Monmouth $276,961
26. Ocean Twp, Ocean $273,444
27. Randolph Twp, Morris $264,995
28. Marlboro, Monmouth $253,711
29. Lacey Twp, Ocean $251,937
30. Washington Twp, Morris $248,225
31. Hoboken, Hudson $229,874
32. DennisTwp, Cape May $229,192
33. UpperTwp, Cape May $224,882
34. Plumsted Twp, Ocean $203,868
35. Lower Twp, Cape May $187,853
36. Pleasantville City, Atlantic $166,441
37. Wantage Regional, Sussex $164,973
38. Millville, Cumberland $162,397
39. Great Meadows Regional, Warren $157,287
40. Point Pleasant Boro, Ocean $149,240
41. Middle Twp, Cape May $147,651
42. Lakeland Regional, Passaic $146,038
43. Union Beach, Monmouth $144,112
44. High Point Regional, Sussex $140,861
45. Little Egg Harbor Twp, Ocean $136,805
46. Delaware Valley Regional, Hunterdon $136,265
47. Kittatinny Regional, Sussex $132,914
48. Hazlet Twp, Monmouth $126,246
49. Ocean Twp, Monmouth $125,781
50. Tabernacle Twp, Burlington $124,031
51. Eatontown, Monmouth $117,934
52. Wildwood, Cape May $112,368
53. Lumberton Twp, Burlington $107,653
54. Voorhees Twp, Camden $106,154
55. North Warren Regional, Warren $102,607
56. Gloucester City, Camden $102,531
57. Flemington-Raritan Reg, Hunterdon $99,392
58. Eastern Camnden County, Camden $97,615
59. Millstone Twp, Monmouth $95,675
60. Weymouth Twp, Atlantic $86,111
61. Monmouth Regional, Monmouth $81,403
62. Wallkill Valley Regional, Sussex $81,392
63. Logan Twp, Gloucester $79,609
64. NHunt/Voorhees Regional, Hunterdon $77,033
65. Stafford Twp, Ocean $76,323
66. Delsea Regional H.S Dist., Gloucester $75,523
67. Montague Twp, Sussex $72,058
68. Hamilton Twp, Mercer $64,696
69. Sparta Twp, Sussex $62,645
70. Byram Twp, Sussex $59,587
71. Ringwood, Passaic $59,077
72. Greenwich Twp, Warren $59,029
73. Andover Reg, Sussex $57,891
74. Pinelands Regional, Ocean $57,609
75. Frankford Twp, Sussex $56,415
76. Washington Twp, Warren $56,228
77. Lebanon Twp , Hunterdon $55,371
78. Hunterdon Central Regional , Hunterdon $55,360
79. White Twp , Warren $55,106
80. Medford Twp, Burlington $54,619
81. Brigantine, Atlantic $53,259
82. Shamong Twp, Burlington $52,653
83. Tinton Falls, Monmouth $52,490
84. Southampton Twp, Burlington $52,185
85. Weehawken Twp, Hudson $51,522
86. Blairstown Twp, Warren $51,400
87. Estell Manor City, Atlantic $50,947
88. Leonia, Bergen $50,237
89. Buena Regional, Atlantic $50,158
90. Hardyston Twp, Sussex $48,140
91. Bethlehem Twp, Hunterdon $48,013
92. Harrison Twp, Gloucester $44,730
93. Stillwater Twp, Sussex $44,250
94. Wanaque, Passaic $43,804
95. Springfield Twp, Burlington $41,578
96. Hampton Twp, Sussex $41,277
97. Knowlton Twp, Warren $41,246
98. Manchester, Ocean $38,713
99. Eastampton Twp, Burlington $37,886
100. Alloway Twp, Salem $37,662
101. Linwood City, Atlantic $37,412
102. Pitman Boro, Gloucester $37,118
103. Upper Pittsgrove Twp, Salem $37,089
104. ClearviewRegional, Gloucester $36,251
105. Alexandria Twp, Hunterdon $35,293
106. HopeTwp, Warren $33,734
107. Kingwood Twp, Hunterdon $33,680
108. Ventnor City, Atlantic $31,595
109. Holland Twp, Hunterdon $30,104
110. Buriington City, Burlington $29,899
111. Winslow Twp, Camden $29,684
112. Bloomingdale, Passaic $29,201
113. Alpha, Warren $28,838
114. Lower Alloways Creek, Salem $28,000
115. Bradley Beach, Monmouth $27,374
116. Hamburg, Sussex $26,350
117. West Regional, Morris $25,444
118. Elk Twp, Gloucester $24,808
119. Franklin Twp, Warren $24,553
120. South Amboy, Middlesex $24,215
121. Washington Twp, Burlington $23,902
122. Collingswood, Camden $23,788
123. Lakehurst, Ocean $22,537
124. Chesilhurst, Camden $20,202
125. Hainesport Twp, Burlington $20,137
126. Frelinghuysen Twp, Warren $19,973
127. Gibbsboro, Camden $19,912
128. Highlands, Monmouth $19,303
129. Englewood , Bergen $18,652
130. Frenchtown, Hunterdon $18,572
131. Waterford Twp, Camden $18,420
132. Delaware Twp, Hunterdon $18,339
133. North Wildwood, Cape May $17,433
134. Clinton, Hunterdon $17,056
135. Bass River Twp, Burlington $15,679
136. Lake Como, Monmouth $15,559
137. Mantua Twp, Gloucester $15,541
138. Henry Hudson Regional, Monmouth $15,518
139. Mannington Twp, Salem $15,508
140. Ogdensburg Boro, Sussex $15,395
141. Haddon Heights Boro, Camden $15,234
142. Roosevelt Boro, Monmouth $15,135
143. Stanhope, Sussex $14,669
144. Wenonah Boro, Gloucester $14,613
145. Downe Twp, Cumberland $14,316
146. Corbin City, Atlantic $13,715
147. Greenwich Twp, Gloucester $13,700
148. Pohatcong Twp, Warren $12,842
149. Beverly City, Burlington $12,304
150. Fredon Twp, Sussex $11,237
151. Tuckerton, Ocean $9,836
152. Delanco Twp, Burlington $8,898
153. East Amwell Twp, Hunterdon $8,638
154. Califon, Hunterdon $8,544
155. Wildwood Crest, Cape May $8,389
156. Belmar, Monmouth $8,030
157. Milford, Hunterdon $7,835
158. Greenwich Twp, Cumberland $7,828
159. Riverton, Burlington $7,714
160. Brooklawn Boro, Camden $7,604
161. Cape May, Cape May $7,527
162. Oaklyn, Camden $7,043
163. Woodbine, Cape May $6,857
164. Lafayette Twp, Sussex $6,208
165. Sandyston-Walpack Twp , Sussex $5,848
166. South Brunswick, Middlesex $5,758
167. Sea Isle City, Cape May $4,370
168. Woodbury Heights Boro, Gloucester $3,967
169. Stow Creek Twp, Cumberland $3,772
170. Eagleswood Twp, Ocean $3,725
171. Seaside Park, Ocean $3,530
172. Neptune City, Monmouth $2,892
173. Woodstown-Pilesgrove, Salem $2,461
174. Margate, Atlantic $2,162
175. Port Republic, Atlantic $1,931
176. Longport, Atlantic $1,727
177. Allenhurst, Monmouth $1,544
178. Franklin Boro, Sussex $1,202
179. Salem, Salem $1,141
180. Cape May Point, Cape May $987
181. Stone Harbor, Cape May $883
182. Avalon, Cape May $829
183. Seaside Heights, Ocean $822
184. Woodland Twp, Burlington $626
185. Beach Haven, Ocean $622
186. Belvidere, Warren $617
187. Lavallette, Ocean $492
188. Island Heights, Ocean $21

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