School taxes, long the brunt of our property tax bills in New Jersey and also the component most prone to increases, rose so drastically in so many local communities as a result of budgets of April 2002 that we can barely stand the thought of another dramatic jump this year.
It is hard to imagine another year when many school districts, while seeing their tax rates rise by 10, 20 or even 30 percent, will at the same time have to absorb hundreds more students without hiring more teachers.
It would be a shame to again see school districts have to continue cutting teachers or programs because of uncontrollable cost increases and flat state aid.
Unfortunately, the outlook for this budget season does not appear to be much better than the last.
Most school districts will likely see another tax hike for the 2003-04 school year, and just how severe it will be remains to be seen.
While Gov. James E. McGreevey is reportedly considering lifting the freeze on school funding for the first time in two years, the question on the minds of school officials around the state as they begin to formulate their next budget is whether the governor will make available enough additional aid to actually have an impact on the local level.
In the short term, many of these local school boards want, at the very minimum, additional state aid to offset the costs of increasing student enrollments, as well as funding to pay for special education programs that are mandated by the state and federal governments.
School districts deserve to at least get that wish, regardless of the state budget deficit.
Cutting the state budget should not mean cutting the quality of our children’s education.
As for the issue of school funding in the future, many local leaders feel strongly about the need for reform.
Thankfully, prospective solutions to this problem will be the subject of a statewide summit on school financing issues, to be held at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at East Brunswick High School.
The event is sponsored by the Garden State Coalition of Schools, the president of which is East Brunswick Superintendent of Schools Jamie P. Savedoff, who interestingly enough will leave the state in a few weeks to become a superintendent in Pennsylvania.
The summit should be an excellent forum in which school leaders from around the state can get together and discuss ideas for necessary reforms in school funding.
Organizers are expecting a good turnout — some school districts are bringing busloads of people — and state leaders and legislators will be on hand to listen, as well as to speak on the issues.
Whether the solution is to fund schools through income, sales or property taxes or through a combination of means, one thing is certain: taxpayers, particularly in growing communities, should not have to deal with repeat performances of the 2002-03 budget year.