The $60 Billion Question: Is NJ’s School Funding Formula Failing Bergen County?
chart courtesy of NJ State Senator Holly Schepisi
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey has officially pulled back the curtain on the state’s massive $60 billion budget with a new “taxpayer report card.” While transparency is always a win, the numbers reveal a sobering reality for local homeowners—especially those in Bergen County.
Of that $60 billion, a staggering $34 billion is swallowed up by five major categories:
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School Funding
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Medicaid
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State Pensions
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State Health Benefits
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Debt Service
But as the state balances its books, local districts are feeling the burn.
The Great Funding Divide: $4.4 Billion vs. $522 Million
The math behind New Jersey’s school aid distribution is coming under fire. Currently, the top 10 school districts in the state receive a combined $4.4 billion in aid.
In contrast, Bergen County—the most populous county in New Jersey with nearly 1 million residents—receives just $522 million total for all its schools. This massive disparity is forcing local boards of education into “survival mode.”
The “Perfect Storm” Hitting Bergen Schools
While state aid remains disproportionate, a secondary crisis is draining local coffers: The State Health Benefits Program.
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The 30% Spike: Health plan rates recently skyrocketed by nearly 30%.
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The Deficit: This increase has triggered multimillion-dollar deficits in almost every school budget.
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The Consequence: To stay afloat, Bergen County schools are slashing programs, laying off teachers, and—inevitably—raising property taxes.
The Path Forward: Two Essential Changes
Is it possible to save public education without taxing residents out of their homes? The data suggests that “business as usual” is no longer an option. Experts and advocates point to two non-negotiable fixes:
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Revamp the School Funding Formula: The current system ignores the evolving economic reality of large counties like Bergen.
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Overhaul State Health Benefits: A new, sustainable state health benefit program is required to stop the “bleeding” of local school budgets.
Without these systemic shifts, NJ homeowners will continue to bridge the gap with their own wallets, even as school programs disappear.
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Tags: #NewJersey #BergenCounty #PropertyTaxes #NJPolitics #SchoolFunding #EducationCrisis #NJBudget
