School Funding Reform Act (SFRA): Please Underfund Us Fairly Gloucester & Camden County Unfairly Funded School Districts Hosted by: Woodbury City Public Schools & Woodbury City Council

New Jersey Education Aid Legislation SFRA 2008 CEIFA 1996 QEA II 1991 QEA 1990 Abbott I Court Decision Public School Education Act, Chapter “The state stopped funding each one not long after each law was passed, including the SFRA.” NJSpotlight, May 6, 2015 Jul. 1976: The NJ Supreme Court shut down the public schools for eight days because the Legislature failed to fund the new formula. The first New Jersey state income tax is then enacted. NJDOE website

"We can now make sure all of our children, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity of getting the quality education they should expect.“ John Corzine This bill represents the culmination of five years of diligent efforts by both the Executive and Legislative branches of State government to develop an equitable and predictable way to distribute State aid that addresses the deficiencies found in past formulas as identified by the Supreme Court. SFRA Legislation "The Legislature and Governor Corzine made a promise to ensure every child has access to a quality education, regardless of where they live. Now that promise can be fulfilled," Assemblyman Joseph Cryan Governor Corzine’s goal in developing the new school funding formula was to bring greater equity and predictability to State funding for school districts in a manner that fulfills the State’s constitutional obligation to provide a “thorough and efficient” system of education to all students in the State. NJDOE Website The SFRA Promise

No Changes Connected to the Formula The development of the new formula was done carefully to ensure that the new system is constitutional; the adequacy budget allocates similar resources to similar districts, regardless of their zip code. By calculating aid based on the characteristics of the student population rather than district location, the new formula will distribute aid equitably during periods of changing demographics and enrollment shifts.

SFRA Legislation Determined Weights Base figure Grade Level K-5 = = 1.04 HS = 1.17 Additional At-Risk <20% = 0.47 Formula for between 20% and 60% >=60% = 0.57 Additional Limited English Proficient 0.5 Additional Combination 0.125

First Year Implementation: True Implementation Districts owed $$$ by SFRA were “capped” – – 20% increase if spending below Adequacy – 10% increase if spending above Adequacy

Year Two – Tougher Financial Times: %, 10% Increases were NOT realized Woodbury City received only a 5% increase And $714,000 reduction in current year state aid occurs in the winter with the state targeting the district reserve account funds.

Third Year: New Administration: DECREASE in State Aid by 5% of district’s general fund budget. Woodbury City loss in SFRA -$1,159,207 (9.1% decrease in state aid)

5 Additional Years of Waiting: Eight Years of SFRA $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? What did this all mean? $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? Unilaterally Changed Weights for all Categories; Implemented Average Daily Attendance Penalty Failed to Even Run True SFRA Formula – No SFRA #, No New Adequacy $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? Continued with Unilaterally Changed Weights for all Categories; Implemented Average Daily Attendance Penalty Failed to Even Run True SFRA Formula – No SFRA #, No New Adequacy $20/student for ALL districts? -- Really?! ELC Forces NJDOE to Release SFRA Formula – proper weights used; proper October attendance calculations used No Change in SFRA Dollars Proper SFRA formula is calculated for Districts Enough is Enough

State Aid Notice to School Districts

Why Enough is Enough?

NJSpotlight Article on Commissioner Hespe Testimony No questions regarding unfair, disproportionate allocation Attachment to article misrepresents financial shortfall

NJSpotlight Attachment * Estimate is based on the parameters in the SFRA including modifications outlinedin the Educational Adequacy Report, as requested by the Legislature. All dollar figure parameters have been grown by CPI in accordance with SFRA. Enrollment is based on October 2014 counts, and no attendance adjustment is applied.

We Need to be Heard Woodbury City Public Schools & Woodbury City Council District 5 Legislators

What Needs to Happen Next WoodburyCherry HillLindenwoldWoolwichGCITAudubonKingswayClaytonPine HillMonroePennsaukenWestville