Could New Deal Ease Funding Woes At South Brunswick Schools?

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — New Jersey school districts, including South Brunswick, that are facing potential state funding cuts are set to get some relief under a $102 million deal reached late Thursday, State Sen. Vin Gopal confirmed Friday.

The deal is expected to restore 65 percent of the funding for more than 150 school districts that were facing aid cuts under Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed 2023-24 budget, Gopal said. Gopal chairs the state Senate Education Committee.

Legislation is set to be introduced Monday, according to the state Senate Budget and Appropriations committee. It is anticipated to be quickly approved, and Murphy is expected to sign it.

South Brunswick school district is facing a potential $4,063,240 cut in state aid for the 2023-24 school year. But with the new legislation, it will have a 65 percent reduction in the funding cut, Gopal told Patch.

The district had anticipated a loss of $1.2 million this year, but Murphy’s announcement left the district scrambling to prepare a tentative budget. More: South Brunswick Schools To Lose $4M In State Aid In 2023-24

The past two Board of Education meetings were dedicated to the proposed aid cut, measures to manage the financial situation and the adoption of a tentative budget, which was presented Thursday night.

NJ legislators had been putting pressure on Murphy to address the drastic cuts that were far in excess of what districts had been anticipating. It also sparked an outcry as it gave the school districts a very short timeframe to respond.

Sen. Andrew Zwicker attended the Board meeting last week, promising to help the district on its path to gaining the much-needed funds. More: State Aid Cut: How Community Advocacy Can Help South Brunswick Schools

Zwicker, who is a member of the Senate Budget Committee, said he has talked with Murphy, his senior staff and the chairs of the budget committee.

“We have to advocate, and we have to advocate quickly. Because the state deadline for coming up with a budget is June 30. And that’s too late,” Zwicker said.

The cuts were part of the ongoing S2 legislation that was signed into law in 2018. The S2 cuts, which were supposed to be spread out over seven years — the 2024-25 budget would be the final year — wiped out adjustment aid for most of the districts receiving it in 2020.

The cuts have been roundly criticized as Murphy touted an increase in education funding that included more than $836 million in funding for K-12 schools, and as the state sits on a $10 billion surplus.

Here's a more comprehensive report on the new deal: $102M To Ease NJ School Funding Cuts Under Deal, Gopal Says

Have a correction or a news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com