Van Drew on School Funding Proposal

TRENTON – Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) issued the following statement June 15 on the Fiscal Year 2018 school funding proposal announced June 14 by legislative leaders in Trenton:
“This plan would take millions of dollars in state education aid from school districts in my legislative district. It would cut critically needed funding to schools that are already barely scraping by, and it would do it with virtually no notice. This would create absolute chaos.
“Some school districts in our area would lose thousands of dollars in aid, and one would lose millions. This would mean the elimination of important programs and undoubtedly would lead to teacher and staff layoffs. In some communities, districts will be forced to turn to property taxpayers who are already paying some of the highest rates in the nation and who can’t possibly afford to pay more.
“We should be looking at the best way to address funding for those that are underfunded without cutting aid to others that on paper appear to be adequately funded but are still struggling to make ends meet. But this plan is the wrong answer.
“Our school districts and taxpayers cannot possibly manage these kinds of cuts. They are already hemorrhaging. This would cause severe bleeding. I can’t possibly support that.
“I will not vote for a plan that slashes funding to schools in my legislative district.”