Dnistrian, Piperno & Eulner Again Call on Governor to Restore Critical Funding to Monmouth’s Schools by Tapping into $10 Billion State Surplus

The “Monmouth First” LD11 Team Demands An End

to “State Funding War Declared on Monmouth Schools and Families”

            COLTS NECK, N.J., May 4th – On the heels of the largest school district in the area announcing earlier this week that it will cancel bus service for thousands of school children in Monmouth County in response to massive cuts in state aid by Governor Murphy and Democratic Senator Vin Gopal, State Senate Candidate Steve Dnistrian and Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno & Kim Eulner, all from Legislative District 11 (LD-11), are calling for an end to the “state funding war declared on Monmouth schools and families by Trenton politicians.”  They are urging Gov. Murphy to have compassion for the district’s families and children, and to tap into the state’s multi-billion dollar surplus in order to restore $75 million in state aid cuts from district schools since the governor’s controversial S2 funding formula became law.

            Earlier this week, the Freehold Regional School District (FRSD) announced that it has been forced to cancel bus service for roughly 3,000 Monmouth County students who live within 2.5 miles of their public schools, effective next school year.  This is in response to the cumulative loss of $25 million for the FRSD alone since Murphy signed S2 into law. The decision will reduce the number of bus routes by 25 percent across the FRSD, which covers students in Colts Neck, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro.

“Governor Murphy and Vin Gopal have been waging a war on our school funding for years now,” said State Senate Candidate Steve Dnistrian.  “An astonishing $75 million has been taken out of our district and sent to other parts of the state since S2 became law. The numbers don’t lie, even when the politicians do. It is a disastrous policy and just plain wrong. Freehold Regional, Neptune Township and Asbury Park’s school districts have taken the biggest hits in our district. Now, we are seeing what these cuts are going to translate into, and this is just the beginning. We have the solution: Tap into the state’s $10.1 billion surplus to prevent needless cuts and suffering in our education system.”

“Countless school districts across the state have seen significant increases in state aid, but not in Monmouth County and not in our district,” said Assemblywoman Marilyn Piperno (R-LD11). “We have been working with our school superintendents and local parents, and we have been fighting for full restoration of funding.  There is political gamesmanship at work here from the other side of the aisle. We all see it, our superintendent and parents know it, and those responsible will be held accountable come November. They are using our teachers, parents and children as pawns – and it is despicable. The S2 insanity of annual stabilization must end and it’s imperative we find a long-term solution”

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Assemblywoman Kim Eulner (R-LD11) added: “It is time for the Governor to have some compassion for our Monmouth County families.  He lives in this county and it’s unfathomable how he could do this to his neighboring town residents.  We don’t all live in walled off mansions, travel in brand new SUVs paid for by taxpayer dollars, and furnish our offices with majestic antique furnishings.  Funding cuts hurt us, and we can all see the effects.  There is over $10 billion in surplus just sitting there. That is OUR money, governor, not yours.  Don’t spend it on more luxury items. Send it back to our children’s schools.”

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Steve Dnistrian is the Republican Candidate for State Senate in Legislative District 11. Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner are Republican representatives for Legislative District 11 in the General Assembly. The election takes place this November.