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Dover board member told state education officials district is underfunded; urged weighted formula for ELL and high‑need students
Summary
Board member Miller testified at a New Jersey Department of Education hearing that the Dover Public School District remains under adequacy, citing lower per‑pupil spending compared with county averages and urging state funding reform to weigh ELL and high‑need students more heavily.
Board Member Mister Miller reported to the Dover board that he provided three minutes of testimony to the New Jersey Department of Education urging reform of the state’s school funding formula and more equitable aid for districts with concentrated needs.
Miller said the Dover Public School District spends approximately $15,000 per pupil annually, compared with a state K–12 average of about $19,000 per pupil. "The Dover School District has long grappled with the consequences of systematic underfunding that leaves our school spending below the state defined adequacy levels," Miller read during the board meeting. He urged the state to change its funding formula to put "more weight on socio‑economic impacts, special education, and ELL factors." Miller told the board that several districts attending the hearing reported large state aid cuts that left them scrambling to finalize budgets.
Board members in attendance described the hearing as tense and said districts reported a range of impacts, including staff reductions and property sales among those with larger losses. Vice President Shower praised Miller’s concise presentation and said the board’s testimony aligned with input from multiple districts asking for more predictable and equitable aid. The board asked administration and members who attended to continue advocating for a reformed funding approach that would align state support with student needs and local capacity.
What was said: Miller told the board the testimony emphasized restorative equalization aid, adjustments to target districts below adequacy, and establishing a minimal local fair share so property‑poor communities are not unduly burdened. The presentation also recommended that the state include vocational (VOTEC) students in sending‑district funding calculations; Miller said the exclusion of those students from calculations shifts tuition and transportation costs to local taxpayers.
Next steps: board leaders encouraged continued advocacy with the New Jersey School Boards Association and follow up with the commissioner’s office on funding reform timelines.
