BOE Hearings Will Be Held on What to Do With $1.8 Million in State Aid

In the next few weeks, school officials will mull over what to do with the approximately $1.8 million that the school district received in additional state aid for the 2011-12 school year.

Schools Business Administrator Dennis DeMarino said Schools Superintendent John Crowe has said he would like for the additional school aid to go towards tax payer relief especially since voters came to the polls in April and voted in favor of the $156.3 million budget.

The district had initially received $1,759,527 in state aid; the addition of $1,759,526 brings the total additional aid to $3,519,053. The total state aid the district received is $21,174,095 for the 2011-12 school year.

The budget passed by a 321 vote margin with 3,209 yes votes, and 2,888 voting against the budget. The passing of the budget was a first in many years.

The budget approval caused a $110 rise in individual property taxes for Woodbridge homeowners, based upon an average home assessed at $75,000.  

Governor Chris Christie announced in July his plan to allocate $75 million in new aid authorized for Middlesex County schools in the fiscal year 2012 budget.

“This year, New Jersey increased state aid to Middlesex County by $92 million, and to school districts across the state by $850 million over last year, restoring every dollar of the cuts we were forced to make last year and adding additional aid,” said Christie in a statement.

The governor went on to say that they are keeping faith with their commitment to New Jersey’s children and families by spending more money per pupil for New Jersey’s students than almost any other state in the country.

“Now is the time to complement the dollars spent with real education reform to bring a focus in student learning, accountability and results,” Christie said.

DeMarino said there will be a lot of discussion and dialogue.

“Ultimately it is the board’s decision,” he said.

Parent Kelly Cuzzola, who has been active in pushing for more communication throughout the district, said while she would like to see money come back to the taxpayers, she would like more to see the money go back into students programs that have been cut over the past two years.

Board President Brian Small said the board will hold public meetings so that the public will have a say in where the extra school aid money will go.