School Funding Reform Act SFRA Please Underfund Us

School Funding Reform Act (SFRA): Please Underfund Us Fairly Gloucester & Camden County Unfairly Funded School Districts Hosted by: Woodbury City Public Schools & Woodbury City Council

New Jersey Education Aid Legislation Public School Education Act, Chapter 212 1975 Abbott I Court Decision 1981 - 1988 QEA 1990 QEA II 1991 Jul. 1976: The NJ Supreme Court shut down the public schools for eight days because the Legislature failed to fund the new formula. The first New Jersey state income tax is then enacted. NJDOE website “The state stopped funding each one not long after each law was passed, including the SFRA. ” NJSpotlight, May 6, 2015 CEIFA 1996 SFRA 2008

The SFRA Promise "We can now make sure all of our children, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity of getting the quality education they should expect. “ John Corzine "The Legislature and Governor Corzine made a promise to ensure every child has access to a quality education, regardless of where they live. Now that promise can be fulfilled, " Assemblyman Joseph Cryan This bill represents the culmination of five years of diligent efforts by both the Executive and Legislative branches of State government to develop an equitable and predictable way to distribute State aid that addresses the deficiencies found in past formulas as identified by the Supreme Court. SFRA Legislation Governor Corzine’s goal in developing the new school funding formula was to bring greater equity and predictability to State funding for school districts in a manner that fulfills the State’s constitutional obligation to provide a “thorough and efficient” system of education to all students in the State. NJDOE Website

No Changes Connected to the Formula • The development of the new formula was done carefully to ensure that the new system is constitutional; the adequacy budget allocates similar resources to similar districts, regardless of their zip code. By calculating aid based on the characteristics of the student population rather than district location, the new formula will distribute aid equitably during periods of changing demographics and enrollment shifts.

SFRA Legislation Determined Weights Grade Level Base figure • K-5 = 1. 0 • 6 -8 = 1. 04 • HS = 1. 17 At-Risk Additional • <20% = 0. 47 • Formula for between 20% and 60% • >=60% = 0. 57 Limited English Proficient • 0. 5 Combination • 0. 125 Additional

First Year Implementation: 2008 -09 • True Implementation • Districts owed $$$ by SFRA were “capped” – – 20% increase if spending below Adequacy – 10% increase if spending above Adequacy

Year Two – Tougher Financial Times: 2009 -10 • 20%, 10% Increases were NOT realized • Woodbury City received only a 5% increase • And $714, 000 reduction in current year state aid occurs in the winter with the state targeting the district reserve account funds.

Third Year: New Administration: 2010 -11 • DECREASE in State Aid by 5% of district’s general fund budget. • Woodbury City loss in SFRA -$1, 159, 207 (9. 1% decrease in state aid)

5 Additional Years of Waiting: Eight Years of SFRA 2011 -12 • $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? • What did this all mean? 2012 -13 • $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? • Unilaterally Changed Weights for all Categories; Implemented Average Daily Attendance Penalty • Failed to Even Run True SFRA Formula – No SFRA #, No New Adequacy 2013 -14 • $$$ -- Random Dollar Amount – small increase? • Continued with Unilaterally Changed Weights for all Categories; Implemented Average Daily Attendance Penalty • Failed to Even Run True SFRA Formula – No SFRA #, No New Adequacy 2014 -15 • $20/student for ALL districts? -- Really? ! • ELC Forces NJDOE to Release SFRA Formula – proper weights used; proper October attendance calculations used 2015 -16 • No Change in SFRA Dollars • Proper SFRA formula is calculated for Districts • Enough is Enough

State Aid Notice to School Districts

Why Enough is Enough?

NJSpotlight Article on Commissioner Hespe Testimony • No questions regarding unfair, disproportionate allocation • Attachment to article misrepresents financial shortfall

NJSpotlight Attachment * Estimate is based on the parameters in the SFRA including modifications outlinedin the Educational Adequacy Report, as requested by the Legislature. All dollar figure parameters have been grown by CPI in accordance with SFRA. Enrollment is based on October 2014 counts, and no attendance adjustment is applied.

We Need to be Heard Woodbury City Public Schools & Woodbury City Council District 5 Legislators

What Needs to Happen Next Woodbury Clayton Pine Hill Cherry Hill Kingsway Monroe Lindenwold Audubon Pennsauken Woolwich GCIT Westville LEGISLATIVE OFFICES!!!