In testimony March 29, 2005 before the Assembly Budget Committee, ELC called on the Legislature to revise the proposed FY 2006 state budget to:

• increase state aid for schools to provide the constitutionally required aid increase under Abbott and $100 to $150 million for all other districts statewide;
• fund a minimum of $6 million for additional preschool expansion aid to sustain the current level;
• provide Abbott charter students with parity funding;
• remove the Commissioner’s emergency rulemaking authority from the budget bill and direct the State Board of Education to adopt Abbott regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act;
• fund NJSMART; and
• require DOE to publicly account for the parity aid funding used to manage the Abbott programs.

"Whatever fiscal problems the State may have, the Legislature has to find a way to fund the basic aid increases required by the Abbott rulings and the state school funding law," said David Sciarra, ELC Executive Director. "A flat budget means substantial cuts in education programs and staff and another year of local property tax hikes statewide. It also would cut over $150 million in education programs in the Abbott districts, threatening the historic progress underway to improve our high poverty urban schools."

Prepared: March 29, 2005