April 23,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, In his opening statement to the Senate Budget Committee, Acting Commissioner of Education Lamont Repollet said he recognizes the need for modernizing the school funding formula by addressing adjustment aid and growth caps. “I stand with the governor to work with this body to work on statutory adjustments to the school aid formula,” said Repollet.
But Senate Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-36) still wanted more detail.“Any reason why the [$37.4 billion] budget was introduced without a discussion of adjustment aid and growth caps?” A final budget will have to include reworking both, Sarlo said.
“Are you prepared to have these difficult conversations with these school districts that are receiving more than 100 percent in state aid?” the senator wanted to know.
Repollet responded to Sarlo by saying he and the Governor are willing to rework and begin to modernize the formula now.
“The governor’s committed to working with this legislative body,” the acting commissioner said. “A conversation is going on right now with the legislative leaders.”