ELC News - New Brunswick Appeals Pre-K Budget Cuts

The New Brunswick district is challenging a NJ Department of Education decision to cut portions of the district's 2005-06 preschool budget, including staff and other expenditures for the pre-K program operated by the Puerto Rican Action Board (PRAB). The appeal is now before a state Administrative Law Judge, and on the fast-track hearing schedule established by NJ Supreme Court in 2002.

Under the landmark Abbott V (1998), Abbott VI (2000) and Abbott VIII (2002) rulings, all three- and four-year old children in New Jersey's urban school districts are entitled to receive high quality preschool education, as part of a comprehensive set of programs and reforms to improve K-12 public education in those communities. As an "Abbott" district, New Brunswick has enrolled over 1300 city children in pre-K classrooms, some operated directly by the district and others by Head Start and community providers under contract with the district, including PRAB. All classrooms must meet the same public education quality standards, and be adequately funded by the NJDOE.

The pre-K budget cuts contested by the district include:

Under the Abbott rulings, districts submit an annual pre-K budget to the NJDOE, along with a request for the state funds needed for the program. If the NJDOE rejects the requested budget, the districts can challenge the decision in court on an expedited basis.

"We especially commend the New Brunwick district for working with PRAB to challenge cuts in the PRAB program budget. This type of collaboration between districts and community providers is essential to the delivery of a high quality public preschool education to all children in the Abbott districts," said David Sciarra, ELC Executive Director.

ELC served as attorneys for the plaintiff children in the Abbott case, and now works to ensure effective implementation of the Abbott programs and reforms.