How Will Christie's School Funding Plan Impact Newark Taxpayers?

By Jason Koestenblatt (Patch Staff) with additional reporting by Eric Kiefer

Governor Chris Christie made waves Tuesday when he unveiled a proposed funding formula change for New Jersey’s schools that would equalize spending for each student in the state.

In doing so, Christie said, it would mean potentially lower property tax bills for residents in high-cost areas, but an enormous funding loss in poorer, urban areas known as Abbott districts.

Christie’s plan would equalize spending to a level of $6,599 per student in the state. That figure came from the $9.1 billion spent by the state this year divided by each enrolled student in grades kindergarten through 12.

In a statement released by the governor’s office Tuesday, blame was laid on the state’s “Abbott” districts – 31 school districts in court-classified “poorer urban” areas – for taking up so much of the state’s taxpayer money and funding aid.

The New Jersey Education Association assailed Christie’s plan, calling it despicable and claiming it would set the state’s education progress back decades.

• See related: Christie Unveils New School Funding Plan; NJEA Calls It ‘Despicable’

But what would the governor’s plan, if implemented, mean to each individual school district in the state?

NJ.com compiled a list of data showing the current per-pupil aid by district versus what that figure would be under Christie’s plan, which can be seen in full here.

In the Newark Public School District, aid per pupil is currently about $21,002. That would drop by 69 percent and cut $14,502 in state funds per pupil, NJ.com stated.

See NJ.com's full list of state districts here.

Sign up for Patch NJ email newsletters here.

Photo: NJ Office of the Governor