Too Early To Tell What State Aid Bump Means For BOE Budget

School district officials on Thursday were still trying to figure out what an increase of more than$600,000 in state aid would mean as a 2012 budget is being crafted. 

According to state Department of Education figures released Wednesday, Wall is due for a $600,516 increase in state aid over last year's figures.

The figures show that Wall will receive a total of $2,577,507 in state aid for 2012. That's $600,516, or 23 percent, more than the $1,976,991 the district received in 2011, according to the DOE spreadsheet released late Wednesday afternoon.

The money is Wall's portion of the additional $250 million Gov. Chris Christie promised in Tuesday's budget speech. It comes at a critical juncture for the school system, which is in the midst of deciding whether to close West Belmar Elementary School to save an estimated $1 million annually.

Doug Wild, head of the Board of Education's finance and facilities committee, said the new numbers are being crunched and the board would have a better idea what the budget will look like early next week.

"We were looking at this thing with no change in the state aid," Wild said. "Naturally, putting in that $600,000 gives us a good number to work with.''

Wild expressed a similar sentiment on Tuesday, following Christie's announcement that aid to schools would increase.

"It was certainly good news, no doubt,'' he said. "I think the best case scenario we had was no further reduction in aid, so that we're getting anything is positive.''

Christie's announcement of increased state aid is key to the Wall Township school system, which is currently considering whether it can afford to keep all four elementary schools open.

The district is expected to receive the results of a study to determine whether it is feasible to shutter West Belmar School, the township’s oldest.

, district officials have said, prompting the school system to consider closing West Belmar School to help close the district’s budget gap.

, which is currently under study by Middletown-based T & M Associates,   intent on blocking the school from closure. Results of the T&M feasibility study are due later this month, officials have said.

State Sen. Sean Kean, R-Monmouth, specifically lauded the increase in state aid, Christie's fiscal approach generally.

"Suburban schools that have become accustomed to having their state aid cut the most, will instead see the biggest increases in state aid next year under the Governor’s plan,'' Kean said in a release. "This is all proof that fiscal discipline is the best form of tax relief."

A copy of the DOE numbers has been attached to this story.