Middletown Invites Governor to Forum

Newsbrief - Local News

Written by Middletown Township School District Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:32

How The Proposed Cuts to State Aid Will Affect Schools

Middletownm, NJ - On Thursday, March 4, the Middletown Township School District will host a forum on the way Governor’s proposed cuts to state aid will affect the school district. The forum will be held at the Middletown High School North Auditorium at 7:30 PM. The school is located at 63 Tindall Road in Middletown, off Route 35 North. Governor Chris Christie has been personally invited to the forum to learn how his proposals may directly result in nearly $6 million in cuts to the largest K-12 school district in Monmouth County. Middletown’s elected officials are expected to take part in the forum panel. The public is invited and encouraged to learn how the Governor’s proposals to balance the state budget will impact education in Middletown and throughout New Jersey.

The Governor’s recent actions to substitute school district surplus for state aid reduced funding for Middletown’s 2010-2011 budget by $2.3 million, and reduced our State Aid by $2.8 million overall. District surplus results from efficiencies in budgeting and saved cost accumulated through the year. These savings are directly applied to reduce the amount taxpayers are asked to fund the school budget the next year. It is more appropriately labeled taxpayer relief. The Governor’s actions will essentially increase Middletown property taxes to fund the state’s budget deficit.  This is not an equitable action and the Middletown School District and its taxpayers are being penalized for the district’s frugality. Middletown has consistently remained efficient and fiscally prudent, as evidenced by the district maintaining a per pupil cost well below the state average.

Middletown Business Administrator William Doering recently testified to the State Assembly Budget Committee, stating, “Our district and several others have worked hard to achieve savings and have aggressively managed our budgets to save as much money as possible.”

Additionally, the Governor has discussed taking further actions which could reduce the school district’s budget revenue for next year, including cutting state aid up to 15% and reducing the amount the school district is allowed to raise in taxpayer revenue regardless of mandated expenses. The result could mean a total budget deficit for the Middletown School District of up to $6 million for next school year, if the district were to propose a tax increase comparable to the increases the community has supported in the past. The district would have no alternative but to make drastic cuts to programs and personnel while their citizens’ taxes will still be increased next year.