Asbury Park Schools Facing State Aid Cut For 2021-22

ASBURY PARK — Following a particularly difficult year for New Jersey school districts during the coronavirus pandemic, scores of school districts across the state can expect decreased school funding. One of them is Asbury Park.

Gov. Phil Murphy's administration released the proposed $18.1 billion in pre-K through 12 school aid funding on Thursday for the 2021-22 school year. Nearly 200 school districts would have a decrease under his school funding plan, and they may need tax increases to mend the gap (see list of local school districts below).

State aid is an influential factor in a district's decisions on raising local property taxes. Many say that aid cuts or flat spending each year gives them cause to raise what are already the highest property taxes in the country. Read more: 193 Districts May Face Possible Cuts: 2021 NJ School Aid Figures

On the whole, state aid would increase 6.6 percent over the 2020-21 school year under a plan that requires approval from the state Legislature. That number would be larger than the 3.8 percent increase Murphy proposed last year.

The state aid was part of Murphy's 2021-22 budget proposal, which was released Tuesday. Read more: No New Tax Increases, Fees For NJ Amid COVID, Gov. Murphy Says

The proposal calls for $578 million in additional K-12 school aid and nearly $50 million in additional preschool funding. School districts will be able to use the state funding in conjunction with federal aid to address COVID-19-related learning loss, stand up mental health programs, train educators, and remediate buildings, among other uses, according to the administration.

“This investment is about ensuring that [students] are not left out or left alone,” Murphy said in his remarks, citing the COVID-19 pandemic’s prolonged effect on student learning. “We know that the learning loss is real and there are students … who have fallen behind in their studies during this time of remote and hybrid learning.”

The 2021-22 budget proposal plans to continue the seven-year phase-in to fully fund New Jersey’s school funding formula. By adding $578 million in K-12 formula aid, the Murphy administration proposes to make the full scheduled phase-in for the upcoming school year and make up for the pause in the phase-in from last year’s budget.

The proposal also includes $50 million in stabilization aid to help districts adjust to the phase-in of the school funding formula and an additional $25 million for Extraordinary Special Education aid.

“After years of chronic underfunding of our classrooms, we’re getting back where we need to be," he said. "This is good for our students, this is good for our educators, this is good for our district and school leaders, and this is good for our educational communities.”

Here are the proposed local state aid decreases:

• Brick - 19.09%
• Asbury Park City -14.95%
• Toms River -14.08%
• Point Pleasant Boro -12.81%
• Belmar -7.06%

Here are the proposed local state aid increases:

• Manasquan 6.40%
• Point Pleasant Beach 0.73%