Assemblyman Alex Sauickie and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn introduced a bipartisan school funding fix this week for districts located in municipalities subject to Highlands and Pinelands development restrictions.
The legislation (A4860) would provide additional state aid to school districts in communities where large portions of land are protected by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and the Pinelands Protection Act. These environmental protections, while critical to safeguarding natural resources and drinking water for millions of residents, limit a municipality’s ability to grow its tax base, placing an outsized burden on local property taxpayers to fund schools.
“New Jersey has asked these communities to serve as stewards of our environment, protecting vital natural resources for the benefit of the entire state,” Sauickie (R-Ocean) said. “But in doing so, we have also tied their hands economically. When up to 25% — and in some cases nearly 100% — of a municipality is restricted from development, the ability to generate ratables is severely limited. Our current funding formula ignores that reality, and as a result, students in these districts are being shortchanged. That is fundamentally unfair.”
The bill, dubbed the “Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act,” addresses the significant cuts to school districts in municipalities such as Jefferson and Washington townships in Morris County, West Milford and Vernon in Sussex County, Jackson, Plumsted, and Lacey in Ocean County, and Shamong and Tabernacle in Burlington County.
“These communities are doing the right thing, not just for themselves, but for the entire state, by preserving open space and protecting critical water resources,” Dunn (R-Morris) said. “Unfortunately, our school funding system has failed to account for the economic impact of these environmental burdens that limit a town’s ability to expand their tax base in the same way that urban districts are limited by municipal burdens.”
A municipal burden is when a school district is in a community that has high public service needs and low property values, which restricts a district’s ability to increase their local share and grants them more state aid.
“This legislation ensures that students in Highlands and Pinelands communities are given the same opportunities as others who live in towns that also cannot expand their tax base,” Dunn explained.
Sauickie, who represents many of the Pinelands school districts, and Dunn, who represents many of the Highlands school districts, introduced the bill with Assemblywoman Marissa Sweeney (D-Morris), reflecting a bipartisan and unified effort among lawmakers representing both regions.
“This isn’t about politics; it’s about a flawed school funding system that continues to cut aid to communities responsible for protecting our water,” Dunn added. “This bill thoughtfully balances conservation and education, both now and in the future.”
The state’s environmental priorities must not impede a student’s right to access a thorough and efficient education, the bill sponsors argue.
“Protecting our environment and ensuring access to clean drinking water are essential goals,” Sauickie said. “But we cannot allow the cost of those protections to fall disproportionately on a subset of communities. Their children deserve the same quality education and resources as every other student in New Jersey.”
