Brick Could Receive $40M More in Aid Under Senator's Plan

A North Jersey state Senator's school funding plan could end up filling the Brick school district's coffers with $40 million in additional school aid - more than double the amount the district currently receives.

Introduced at a press conference May 11 under the name of "Fair School Funding," Sen. Mike Doherty (R-Warren) is in the midst of his "Nickel and Dime Tour" around the state promoting his plan, which has yet to be formally introduced to the Legislature. The plan would modify the state's current school funding formula to direct more state aid to suburban school districts while cutting back on aid to urban school districts that, for decades, have received the bulk of Trenton's education funding.

"As the Governor stated, we must abandon the idea that more money will fix our chronically failing schools," Doherty said in a statement. "We have tried for the better part of four decades to solve the structural deficiencies in our schools with money, billions have been spent and outcomes haven’t measurably changed."

According to figures released by Doherty's office, urban districts would still receive significantly more state aid per capita, on average, than suburban districts, but not to the extent of the current formula. Since the landmark Abbott v. Burke decision in which the New Jersey Supreme Court decided in 1987 that poor, urban school districts were unconstitutionally underfunded, education aid has flowed to the state's 31 poorest cities. Critics charge that a lack of education aid has led to the state's high suburban property taxes.

Brick will receive $33,579,430 in state aid for the 2011-12 school year, about 24 percent of its $136 million school budget. Under the Doherty plan, Brick's aid would increase by $40,400,179 to $73,979,609 - a 120 percent increase.

"It sounds wonderful for a town like Brick," said Board of Education President Sharon Kight. "I am sure every Brick resident that pays taxes wants to see a better education for our children, but until now it’s been on their backs and they are broken. We need this relief in funding and I hope it advances in the legislature and becomes reality."