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District leaders say school funding formula and 6% cap leave districts underfunded; ask legislature for relief
Summary
Superintendents and board members from Jefferson, Evesham and other districts told senators that the state's school funding formula and a 6% cap on increases have left their districts with large budget gaps, prompting staff cuts, property‑tax pressure and program reductions. They urged the Legislature to restore aid to formula entitlements and to
Lede School district leaders from Jefferson, Evesham and other municipalities told the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee that the state school funding formula (SFRA) and an effective cap on aid increases have produced years of underfunding and sudden large swings that imperil programs and staffing.
Nut graf Districts said they have absorbed multi‑year aid declines, depleted reserves and made deep staffing cuts; they asked the Legislature to address formula mechanics and to consider targeted restorations so districts facing sudden aid shortfalls can balance budgets without eliminating core programs.
Body Superintendent Jean Howe of Jefferson Township said the district had lost roughly $55,000,000 in cumulative state aid since 2018 and that a recent allocation left the district with a one‑fifth fraction of the formula entitlement. That forced program and staff reductions, she said, and she called the allocation mechanism “unpredictable.”
Evesham Township officials said their uncapped calculated entitlement was $8,467,000 but that a 6% practical cap limited the allocation to $7,159,000 — producing a $1,307,000 shortfall. Evesham described years of cuts and tax increases and warned that remaining options include outsourcing transportation, eliminating elementary electives, reducing staff and building sales.
Board leaders and superintendents from multiple districts said the formula’s local fair‑share calculation can move dramatically from year to year, and that districts with limited property‑base growth or large constrained lands (Highlands or Pinelands protections) lack capacity to raise revenue when state aid falls.
Ending Speakers urged the committee to consider short‑term restorations for severely affected districts and to commission a third‑party review or re‑calibration of the funding formula so aid matches contemporary spending needs and demographics.
