New Jersey General Assembly Budget Committee — March 27, 2023

Madam Chairwoman, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today. My comments related to the governor’s proposed budget will focus on the school funding component of the proposal. I come before you today as the newest member of the General Assembly, the representative of four counties and it parents and children, but equally important today as the father of children in the Jackson Township School system.

While only in office a short 6 months, it is clear to me from observing the broad impact of S-2, it just doesn’t work. That view is further bolstered by the bill before us this week that restores two-thirds of the proposed cuts for the upcoming school year, as shown by the swiftness in which it passed both the Senate and the Assembly Appropriations committees without opposition last week, and only a couple of short weeks after the initial budget cuts were proposed.

I am here to ensure that this committee is enlightened to the full effects of not only years of S-2 cuts but other state mandates doing harm to otherwise working and thriving school districts.

Monmouth and Ocean Counties are particularly suffering under S-2 with 8 out of the top 10 highest dollar cuts – statewide – being proposed, including 4 out of the top 5 in the state with Toms River, Asbury Park, Freehold Regional, and Jackson Township losing a combined $35 million; that’s just 4 districts and that’s just this year. While towns in other counties receive over $30,000 in state aid per student, districts like Jackson receive less than $4,000; Toms River, less than $2,000.

My hometown of Jackson is facing a dire financial situation through no fault of its own, and I would sincerely like to think those who proposed this year’s cuts to Jackson did not know its unique situation, which I am about to highlight. Even with the bill

before this Assembly this week to restore $4.1 million of the $6.2 million proposed cuts this year to Jackson, which has already lost $21 million in cumulative cuts since the S-2 cuts began, Jackson faces a $20 million gap this coming school year. To be clear, even if the $4.1 million proposed in the bill this week is restored, Jackson faces a $20 million gap in its budget this coming year.

Here are the reasons. In addition to S-2, Jackson has the fastest growing nonpublic transportation costs in the state due to an unfunded state mandate that requires payment by the school district for nonpublic student transportation. Five years ago, 667 non-public students qualified for transportation or aid-in-lieu; that number has grown to 4,331 – a 550% increase. In just the past year the cost of nonpublic student transportation went from $1.3 million to $4.5 million – a 246% increase – and is expected to exceed $6.5 million this coming school year.

Just this month, a state appellate court required the state to consider the costs of nonpublic student transportation and special education when determining “constitutionally adequate” state funding due to “a unique demographic situation”. Jackson is in such a situation, so its state aid may not even be constitutionally adequate.

So even with the bill before us this week, Jackson, which has already lost over $20 million in state aid in previous cumulative years, will still lose an additional $2.5 million from S-2, see an increase in transportation costs to $6.5 million (that’s $9 million), has lost $7 million in COVID aid (that’s $16 million), sees inflation cost increases of over $1 million (that’s $17 million), and due to the cuts has burned through its almost $3 million surplus. That’s a $20 million gap.

Since the Assemblyman sitting before you today graduated from that same Jackson school district, the district went from one AP History class to dozens of AP classes, has added a STEM program, a digital media program, a business program, additional sports including lacrosse for boys and girls, and has won numerous state championships in football, baseball, track, and other sports. These continued cuts will reverse the course of a school district that should otherwise be an example to the rest of the state, but is now faced with expected reductions of over 100 staff next year if something is not done to restore its funding.In closing, I strongly support the bill before us this week to restore two-thirds of the proposed school budget cuts. It’s a move in the right direction, however it is one-time stabilization aid, that leaves a hole in the school budgets in the following year. More needs to be done. I implore you to consider numerous other steps to not only restore 100% of the cuts, but look to fund other components like transportation and special education. Our children are depending on it. Thank you.

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Statement by Assemblyman Alex Sauickie, as prepared, at the New Jersey General Assembly Budget Committee Meeting on March 27, 2023.