Local towns to receive additional school funding

Gov. Chris Christie plans to reform education

BY JENNIFER AMATO & DEANNA McLAFFERTY Staff Writers

The North and South Brunswick school districts will receive additional school funding for fiscal year 2012, according to a press release from Gov. Chris Christie’s office.

North Brunswick will receive $792,814 in additional aid from the 2011-12 appropriations act, which is $1,585,629 total additional aid over last year, thus making the total aid for 2011-12 $10,266,431.

Similarly, in South Brunswick, $1,269,721 will be received additionally, which is $2,539,422 additional aid over last year, making the total aid for next year $21,449,970.

The announcement was made July 13, furthering Christie’s commitment to providing resources and reform to improve education for every New Jersey child, the release said.

“This year, New Jersey increased state aid to Middlesex County by $92 million, and to school districts across the state by $850 million over last year, restoring every dollar of the cuts we were forced to make last year and adding additional aid,” Christie said in the press release. “We are keeping faith with our commitment to New Jersey’s children and families, spending more money per pupil on New Jersey’s students than almost any other state in the country. Now is the time to complement the dollars spent with real education reform to bring a focus on student learning, accountability and results.”

South Brunswick Business Administrator Anthony Tonzini said the increase was appropriate and needed after cutbacks in the past.

“Up to 20 percent of state aid was taken away years ago, so we’re getting a portion of that back,” he said.

Though Tonzini believes the money was owed to local schools, he did not expect it.

“I was surprised because it’s after the election,” he said, with a laugh. “We were given numbers in March, and we’ve been planning with those numbers.”

Tonzini said they are unsure how the 13.4 percent jump in additional revenue will be used, and an administrative team must come together to make those decisions. “The money could be used to improve student achievement or any other purposes the board wants,” he said. “It’s very broad.”

North Brunswick Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski was not available for comment by press time.

According to the press release, Christie said he is committed to making 2011 the year of education reform. He has put forward a reform agenda that brings necessary and long-overdue changes to the public education system that focuses on accountability, makes teacher effectiveness and student achievement the driving forces behind public policies and practices, empowers parents with greater school choice, and expands high-quality public charter schools in New Jersey to ensure that every child in the state has access to a quality education and achieves the results they deserve.