Manchester Schools Receive Bump In State Aid For 2023-24

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township School District is set to receive an increase of more than $270,000 in state funding under aid figures for the 2023-24 school year announced by the New Jersey Department of Education on Thursday.

The Manchester schools received $5,102,033 in the 2022-23 school year, and are slated to receive $5,372,064 for 2023-24, an increase of $270,031, or 5.29 percent.

Manchester is one of more than 270 districts that are set to benefit in the 2024 fiscal year budget. Gov. Phil Murphy touted a $1 billion increase in overall school funding in his budget address on Tuesday, with much of that money directed at what Murphy said are underfunded school districts.

The increase is the first the district has seen since 2018. Manchester had been suffering aid cuts under S2, along with many other districts throughout the state. Those cuts included $99,267 in the 2022-23 budget, and $106,000 for the 2021-22 school year.

Manchester is one of 12 Ocean County school districts to receive an increase in aid for 2023-24, according to state figures.

Neighboring Lakehurst, which has a sending relationship with Manchester for its high school students, also is receiving an increase in state aid, to $6,864,309, up $207,948 or 3.12 percent from 2022-23.