Not surprised by the school funding numbers,

Wolfe says more funding isn’t the overall solution

BRICK, N.J. –  Assemblyman David Wolfe (R-Ocean), former chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, responded to the school funding numbers released today with the following statement:

“Nothing has changed. This year, nearly 60 percent of school funding is going to 31 school districts that haven’t improved.  As a consequence, the other 555 school districts pay sky-high property taxes to compensate for the funding they don’t receive.

“It should not be lost on anyone that we need a full repeal and replace of state education funding.  The problem isn’t only the formula, but the entire system. Having 586 school districts for 565 municipalities is inherently inequitable. This is a main reason that New Jersey spends more per student than any state in the nation, with the number of school districts being around the same as Texas, Florida and New York.

“It is evident that more money is not the overall solution. The current formula has been too expensive and too inequitable to fund for the past 9 years and continues to drive up property taxes.  I commend the governor for giving the legislature a clean slate and 100 days, now 98, to work together to fix this problem.”