West Orange Taxpayers May Save $2K With Christie's School Funding Plan, But At Whose Expense?

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

West Orange, NJ - Should taxpayers in West Orange benefit from cuts to Newark's state student aid?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s controversial proposed “Fairness Formula” plan would equalize per pupil spending across the state if approved, and drop annual property taxes in many towns, including South Orange.

But here’s the catch… local taxpayers’ potential savings may come at the expense of some of Essex County’s most in-need students.

The plan, unveiled earlier this week, takes aim at the disproportionate amount of state funding allocated to Abbott school districts, which are located in “poorer, urban” areas of the state.

Christie called for a flat rate of aid in the amount of $6,599 per student enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 in New Jersey. According to the Governor, who laid out more details of the plan Wednesday night on New Jersey’s 101.5 radio station, an estimated 75-percent of towns would see more state aid while residents in those municipalities would see their annual property tax bill drop.

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

The plan was met with immediate opposition, particularly from the New Jersey Education Association, calling the proposal “despicable” and an idea that would set the state’s progress in education back decades.

WEST ORANGE TAXES

Locally, the difference in annual tax bills is eye-opening.

According to a recently launched website outlining The Fairness Formula, which can be seen here, West Orange property owners would save an average of $2,228 under Christie’s proposed plan.

The West Orange Public School District would also receive an extra $5,445 per pupil under the proposed plan according to a NJ.com study, a stunning increase of 516 percent over its current state funding.

This combined savings and increased student aid sounds like a no-brainer decision… unless you’re one of the many students in Essex County who will pay for the potential windfall.

According to the NJ.com report, these Essex County public school districts would see the following per-pupil cuts to their state aid:

• Newark – $14,502 less per student (69 percent)
• East Orange - $12,841 less per student (66 percent)
• Irvington - $10,440 less per student (62 percent)
• Orange - $7,978 less per student (55 percent)

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