166 NJ School Districts Need Money – And May Need To Tax: Report

New Jersey still doesn't have enough money for schools – and that means at least 166 of them may need to find more.

That's because 166 New Jersey school districts that serve more than 662,000, or almost half of all students statewide, are funded below “adequacy” under the state’s weighted student funding formula – the School Funding Reform Act, according a report from the Education Law Center.

That's actually a 2008 state law that school districts and New Jersey officials are supposed to follow. And it's the law that state lawmakers have said will force local property tax hikes if the Murphy administration and state Legislature don't come up with the money to help school districts (see list of districts below).

The debate over school funding has helped drive a wedge between the Murphy administration and Senate President Steve Sweeney, who has insisted that New Jersey should do whatever it takes to comply with the 2008 law. Read more: These 190-Plus Districts May Face Tax Hike: NJ School Aid Figures

In total, these 166 districts are below adequacy by almost $2 billion in state and local funding, or $3,017 per pupil, according to the report from the nonprofit Education Law Center.

Education Law Center serves as a leading voice for New Jersey’s public schools, and has helped drive efforts to equalize school funding that have been endorsed by the courts.

The ELC has updated its analysis of district funding relative to the state law's adequacy levels based on 2018-19 data. The update shows a drop in the number of below-adequacy districts from 185 in 2017-18 to 166 districts in the current year.

The drop reflects the impact of a $351 million increase in state aid in the FY19 state budget, the first significant increase after eight years of aid cuts under former Gov. Chris Christie, and a $383 million increase in the local levy to support school budgets.

ELC’s analysis shows that the 166 districts are below adequacy as a result of gaps in state aid or local property tax revenue – or a combination of both – as calculated by state law.

Twenty-eight districts are below adequacy because of local revenue gaps, while 74 are below because of state aid gaps, and another 64 are below because of a combination of state and local revenue gaps, the report says.

Here is the list of districts and their "funding gaps," or what they'll need to eventually come up with to help comply with the law:

1. Newark, Essex -$183,428,905
2. Paterson, Passaic -$123,837,537
3. Elizabeth, Union -$108,826,793
4. Jersey City, Hudson -$103,749,652
5. Union City, Hudson -$67,618,992
6. Plainfield, Union -$63,041,488
7. Trenton, Mercer -$60,250,222
8. Bayonne, Hudson -$55,197,339
9. Passaic County Vocational, Passaic -$50,765,444
10. West New York, Hudson -$47,473,567
11. New Brunswick, Middlesex -$45,487,426
12. Passaic, Passaic -$42,532,519
13. Clifton, Passaic -$34,356,975
14. North Bergen, Hudson -$33,078,233
15. Essex Co Voc-Tech, Essex -$31,915,122
16. Vineland, Cumberland -$31,427,093
17. Irvington, Essex -$29,290,325
18. Atlantic City, Atlantic -$28,859,102
19. Bridgeton, Cumberland -$28,812,683
20. Camden, Camden -$27,065,416
21. Atlantic Co Vocational, Atlantic -$26,480,210
22. Perth Amboy, Middlesex -$25,654,672
23. Toms River Regional, Ocean -$24,876,571
24. Union County Vocational, Union -$23,772,707
25. Sayreville, Middlesex -$22,585,194
26. Dover, Morris -$22,466,191
27. Kearny, Hudson -$22,135,233
28. Orange, Essex -$21,753,772
29. Belleville, Essex -$20,554,316
30. Woodbridge, Middlesex -$19,151,437
31. Edison, Middlesex -$18,954,437
32. Long Branch, Monmouth -$18,408,529
33. Monmouth Co Vocational, Monmouth -$18,028,183
34. Carteret, Middlesex -$17,732,148
35. Bloomfield, Essex -$16,614,030
36. Hamilton Twp (Mercer), Mercer -$16,254,330
37. Lindenwold, Camden -$15,792,772
38. Morris County Vocational, Morris -$14,106,956
39. Piscataway, Middlesex -$13,496,178
40. Camden County Vocational, Camden -$13,238,122
41. Burlington Co Vocational, Burlington -$13,228,045
42. Millville, Cumberland -$12,142,384
43. Hudson County Vocational, Hudson -$11,976,086
44. Cliffside Park, Bergen -$11,350,032
45. North Brunswick, Middlesex -$10,986,157
46. Hammonton, Atlantic -$10,932,824
47. North Plainfield, Somerset -$10,806,788
48. Roselle, Union -$10,694,853
49. Fairview, Bergen -$10,317,457
50. South River, Middlesex -$10,279,693
51. Harrison, Hudson -$9,723,443
52. Bound Brook, Somerset -$9,658,339
53. Gloucester Co Vocational, Gloucester -$9,503,240
54. Guttenberg, Hudson -$9,261,338
55. Garfield, Bergen -$8,704,973
56. Freehold Boro, Monmouth -$8,320,583
57. Bergen County Vocational, Bergen -$8,297,372
58. Kingsway Regional, Gloucester -$7,752,425
59. Monroe Twp (Gloucester), Gloucester -$7,558,975
60. Egg Harbor Twp, Atlantic -$7,505,621
61. Salem County Vocational, Salem -$6,925,763
62. Palisades Park, Bergen -$6,645,741
63. Hackensack, Bergen -$6,634,938
64. Rahway, Union -$6,567,403
65. Hamilton Twp (Atlantic), Atlantic -$6,150,270
66. Middlesex Co Vocational, Middlesex -$5,928,047
67. Prospect Park, Passaic -$5,760,310
68. Red Bank, Monmouth -$5,665,415
69. Hillside, Union -$5,522,392
70. South Brunswick, Middlesex -$5,179,339
71. Pennsauken, Camden -$4,920,724
72. Hunterdon Co Vocational, Hunterdon -$4,819,885
73. Elmwood Park, Bergen -$4,815,814
74. Cumberland Co Vocational, Cumberland -$4,614,536
75. Haledon, Passaic -$4,597,768
76. Deptford, Gloucester -$4,459,948
77. Robbinsville, Mercer -$4,448,347
78. Sussex County Vocational, Sussex -$4,358,859
79. Penns Grv-Carney's Pt Reg, Salem -$4,219,384
80. Riverside, Burlington -$3,598,893
81. Gloucester Twp, Camden -$3,586,561
82. Clayton, Gloucester -$3,133,131
83. Bellmawr, Camden -$3,112,657
84. Rancocas Valley Regional, Burlington -$3,111,038
85. Manville, Somerset -$3,095,783
86. Maple Shade, Burlington -$3,005,492
87. Dunellen, Middlesex -$2,853,439
88. Nutley, Essex -$2,806,722
89. Lodi, Bergen -$2,793,302
90. Jamesburg, Middlesex -$2,659,963
91. Cape May Co Vocational, Cape May -$2,540,996
92. East Windsor Regional, Mercer -$2,534,203
93. Mercer County Vocational, Mercer -$2,432,948
94. Delran, Burlington -$2,430,493
95. East Newark, Hudson -$2,426,272
96. Roselle Park, Union -$2,396,517
97. Paulsboro, Gloucester -$2,385,311
98. Warren County Vocational, Warren -$2,240,496
99. Westampton, Burlington -$2,094,836
100. South Amboy, Middlesex -$2,051,141
101. Union Twp (Union), Union -$1,916,777
102. Egg Harbor City, Atlantic -$1,906,395
103. Central Regional, Ocean -$1,896,205
104. Ocean County Vocational, Ocean -$1,783,133
105. Berkeley Twp, Ocean -$1,739,988
106. Northern Burlington Reg, Burlington -$1,725,540
107. East Greenwich Twp, Gloucester -$1,695,878
108. Clearview Regional, Gloucester -$1,661,458
109. Woodlynne, Camden -$1,659,348
110. Wallington, Bergen -$1,652,359
111. Fairfield (Cumberland), Cumberland -$1,501,892
112. Gloucester City, Camden -$1,496,125
113. Florence Twp, Burlington -$1,483,125
114. Collingswood, Camden -$1,403,976
115. Edgewater, Bergen -$1,243,978
116. North Hanover Twp, Burlington -$1,209,917
117. Upper Deerfield Twp, Cumberland -$1,089,353
118. Mullica Twp, Atlantic -$1,077,591
119. Runnemede, Camden -$1,068,452
120. Edgewater Park, Burlington -$1,029,416
121. Phillipsburg, Warren -$1,020,322
122. Berlin, Camden -$1,013,458
123. Audubon, Camden -$962,778
124. Bordentown Regional, Burlington -$962,318
125. Sterling High School Dist, Camden -$886,919
126. Haddonfield, Camden -$856,680
127. Westville, Gloucester -$786,790
128. Commercial Twp, Cumberland -$745,374
129. Salem, Salem -$736,791
130. Franklin Twp (Gloucester), Gloucester -$701,536
131. Hackettstown, Warren -$680,524
132. Hopewell Twp, Cumberland -$618,871
133. Pine Hill, Camden -$608,825
134. Little Egg Harbor Twp, Ocean -$589,257
135. Woodstown-Pilesgrove Reg, Salem -$504,262
136. Maurice River Twp, Cumberland -$478,103
137. Hi Nella, Camden -$465,695
138. Brick, Ocean -$461,288
139. Newton, Sussex -$419,843
140. Absecon, Atlantic -$415,884
141. Swedesboro-Woolwich, Gloucester -$400,170
142. Keyport, Monmouth -$390,991
143. Bergenfield, Bergen -$387,263
144. Lawrence Twp (Cumberland), Cumberland -$369,462
145. Woodland Park, Passaic -$369,104
146. South Harrison, Gloucester -$354,546
147. Belmar, Monmouth -$340,660
148. Brooklawn, Camden -$327,319
149. West Deptford, Gloucester -$314,806
150. Woodbury, Gloucester -$309,045
151. Lakewood, Ocean -$301,896
152. Mansfield Twp (Warren), Warren -$294,964
153. Spotswood, Middlesex -$281,823
154. Seaside Park, Ocean -$270,313
155. South Bound Brook, Somerset -$266,768
156. Seaside Heights, Ocean -$226,996
157. Middlesex, Middlesex -$189,681
158. Lakehurst, Ocean -$179,122
159. Cape May City, Cape May -$162,039
160. Burlington Twp, Burlington -$158,695
161. Medford Lakes, Burlington -$131,201
162. Somers Point, Atlantic -$121,422
163. New Hanover Twp, Burlington -$120,075
164. Bradley Beach, Monmouth -$72,821
165. North Arlington, Bergen -$46,238
166. Delanco, Burlington -$44,611