Middletown Schools Lose $1.1 Million In State Aid

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown Township Public School District was officially notified last Friday, July 13, that their school aid from the state is being reduced by $1,177,977.

However, Middletown already created the budget for the 2018-2019 school year and already planned on receiving that now-missing $1.17 million, superintendent Dr. Bill George said.

"This $1,177,977 of state aid was included in the 2018-2019 district budget that was approved and adopted in April," Dr. George said in a letter sent to Middletown parents on Thursday. "The district is currently working to develop a plan to address this reduction in state aid that has the least impact on our instructional programs, student activities and student services."

The Board of Education now has to hold an emergency meeting next Wednesday, July 25 to approve a revised 2018-2019 budget, which will have to include the necessary revisions to offset the $1,177,977 reduction in state aid. The state Department of Education imposed a deadline of August 1 for approving a revised budget.

State aid weighs heavily in many district's decisions on raising local property taxes. Many often say that aid cuts or flat spending from year to year gives them cause to raise what are already the highest property taxes. The state aid cuts — some New Jersey school districts saw big increases — came as Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic Senate President Stephen Sweeney haggled over the best way to fund schools in this year's budget debate. Ironically, Sweeney and Murphy are both Democrats.

"It has been reported in the news media that our state aid reduction amount is $314,578," Dr. George said. "However, that amount only represents the reduction in state aid compared to the 2017-2018 budget year, not the 2018-2019 state aid originally designated in March. The $1,177,977 reflects the full reduction from the total amount of state aid for the 2018-2019 school year budget."