Fair Lawn Schools Receive Aid Reduction In Revised Budget

FAIR LAWN, NJ — On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced revised state aid figures for school districts across the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Across the board, districts saw reductions in state aid, but few were impacted in the revision as much as Fair Lawn.

Only five districts in the state saw a bigger reduction from the numbers Murphy proposed in February than Fair Lawn, whose state aid was cut by nearly 14 percent in the revised budget.

Despite the financial hardships the pandemic created, Murphy said state aid figures will remain consistent with fiscal year 2020 numbers, even with the "historic financial challenges New Jersey is facing due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."

School funding will remain consistent with the figures announced in July, Murphy announced Wednesday.

This means some districts, including Fair Lawn, will see a steep reduction in aid from Murphy's initial budget proposal.

Initially, it was proposed that Fair Lawn would receive $8,938,472 in K-12 aid in the 2020-2021 budget, but the revised proposal has Fair Lawn slated for $7,692,867.

Still, this is an increase for Fair Lawn from 2019-2020, when the district received $7,112,643.

The new budget proposal also included $100 million in Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) funding to help schools reopen safely.

"Supporting our public schools has been one of the bedrock priorities of my administration, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not changed our commitment to our students, educators, and staff," said Murphy. "The pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge for our schools, but I am proud that we can continue to support our districts, ensure the health and safety of students and school staff, and provide a high-quality education for all children. Together, we will weather these challenging times and build a state that is stronger, fairer, and more resilient."

Additional reporting by Tom Davis

Have a news tip or press release you’d like to submit? Need to request a correction? Email montana.samuels@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.