NJ Budget Will Impact West Orange School Aid (See How Much)

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange would get a $4.91 million boost in K-12 school aid from New Jersey under the proposed state budget presented by Gov. Phil Murphy last week.

The governor’s office said the fiscal year 2024 budget has an $834 million increase in direct K-12 school aid for districts across the state — an increase of 8.42 percent from last year. More than 400 New Jersey school districts would receive increased state funding next year, while 157 would see the amount decrease. Read More: NJ School Aid 2023: Who's Getting More, Who's Getting Less

West Orange would get $34,288,620, an increase of $4,915,635 (or 16.74 percent). It would be earmarked as follows:

• Equalization Aid - $23,310,609
• Transportation Aid – $3,033,009
• Special Education Aid - $6,078,649
• Security Aid - $1,866,353

"Having gathered valuable input from our administrative staff, the central office team is working diligently to construct the district's preliminary 2023-2024 budget for our board's review," said Dr. Lauren Schoen, interim superintendent of the West Orange Public School District.

"Our overarching goal is to maintain all of our excellent educational opportunities for our students and build upon our programming, where possible, in a fiscally responsible manner," Schoen said.

• See related article: West Orange Is Expanding Free Preschool For Upcoming Year

Property taxes in New Jersey are made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. State aid is meant to ameliorate funding gaps at school districts throughout New Jersey. Read More: Highest NJ Property Taxes (See Where Your Town Ranks On New List)

The aid is an influential factor in a school district's share of property taxes. Many districts say that cuts, or even flat spending, force them to raise taxes for local homeowners. Read More: Average Property Tax Bill In West Orange Is Growing, Latest Data Shows

Since the 2020-21 school year, the state has determined its annual distribution of education aid through S2 — a controversial funding formula passed in 2018, Murphy's first year in office.

The governor has defended S2, saying the funding formula had to change to address inequities within the state. But critics have pointed to the losses in state aid among many school districts, which has resulted in cuts while other districts get increases.

FY2024 would be the sixth of seven state budgets that S2 will impact, with the goal of fully funding education under the formula by 2025.

The state budget isn't final. The State Legislature has several months to make adjustments. Lawmakers must approve a balanced budget for the governor's signature before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins. Read More: Tax Relief, Debt Service, Transit Fare Freeze: 3 NJ Budget Takeaways

This article contains reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch staff

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