JC School Superintendent Withdraws Request for City Funds

Councilpersons Solomon, Lavarro Propose Sharing Millions from City Budget

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Despite months of pressure from parents, teachers, students, and advocacy groups in the face of Jersey City Public Schools’ budget crisis, the school superintendent has now officially declined to seek funding from the City of Jersey City’s annual operating budget.

Their letter, sent from Acting School Superintendent Franklin Walker to Jersey City Council and dated July 19, 2019, represents a  reversal from the board’s official May 13, 2019 resolution that “facing a fiscal deficit and over $100M in adjustment aid reduction, be it resolved that the Board of Education requests that the City Council of Jersey City and the Mayor of Jersey City commit to increasing their fiscal contributions to the Jersey City Public School District.”

The JCPS letter dismissed the “quick fix solution” of their own recent request for a share of City funds, opting instead to pursue “good planning,” including “rationalization of job titles” and “legal and legislative actions”.

At the Council’s July 15th, 2019 caucus meeting, Ward E Councilman Solomon had with Council President Rolando Lavarro’s support presented a plan to reserve a minimum of seven million dollars for Jersey City schools in 2019. That plan, which involved no layoffs or tax increases, would have trimmed a broad range of waste and nonessential services from the City budget, including such line items as excess office supplies, unused overtime, undispersed salaries to already-retired employees, and over-allowances for City vehicle upkeep.

Solomon and Lavarro contend that Jersey City’s struggling schools must be Council’s highest priority. “After decades of hoarding abatement revenue, Council can, and must, provide millions to Jersey City schools both in its 2019 budget and in every budget going forward. The school board should reverse this perplexing decision.”

James Solomon represents downtown Jersey City as the Ward E Councilperson. He’s focused on building a just city, with affordable housing and improved mass transit, bicycling, and pedestrian infrastructure. He is also an adjunct professor of political science at Saint Peter’s University, New Jersey City University, and Hudson County Community College.