N.J. officials cut $140M in additional funds from school budgets
Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 9:45 PM Updated: Friday, June 18, 2010, 5:20 AM
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie answers questions posed April 6 by fourth-graders at John Hill School in Boonton, N.J.TRENTON — After New Jersey voters rejected a record number of school budgets this spring, local officials ordered more than $140 million in additional cuts, the state announced today.
Statewide, the reductions brought the school tax levy increase to 3.65 percent from the proposed 4.77 percent, officials said. But the overall cuts made by towns where school budgets were defeated totaled just 1.9 percent of the more than $7 billion those districts proposed to voters.
In 29 districts, the budgets were left intact, according to data released by the state Department of Education.
Schools were sent scrambling this spring after Gov. Chris Christie slashed state aid by $820 million — meaning hundreds of districts lost most or all of their state aid. Voters then shot down more than 58 percent of the school budgets, the highest failure rate ever.
Christie has said he was "outraged" that in the aftermath, "so many municipal bodies did nothing or near nothing in response to a clear repudiation of the school board’s budget by the voters."
His spokesman, Michael Drewniak, today said the governor also recognizes towns that "made a mark."
"Overall, it’s a good start," Drewniak said. "There were plenty of school districts which essentially disavowed their voters, and we think that sends the wrong message."
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