New Jersey has fully implemented its revamped public school funding formula with the announcement of proposed state aid for the 2024-25 academic year. But, you might not like what that actually means for your Camden County district.
Some districts will see major increases in state funding under the plan, while others can expect far less.
Why the difference?
The answers comes down to the new funding formula that was first enacted in 2008. Under the 2025 budget proposed by Gov. Phil Murphy, the new formula will be fully in place for the first time since it was passed.
That means the state is using a new way of calculating how much money each of the state’s nearly 600 school districts should get from the state budget. The complex formula considers the size of the district, how many low-income and special education students it enrolls and numerous other factors.
Districts that were considered underfunded started getting extra aid the year after the new plan passed, but so-called overfunded schools didn’t see their aid start to decrease until nearly a decade later.
NJ Advance Media analyzed the impact of the new formula on school districts in every county.
In Camden County, Runnemede saw the largest percent loss in funding with a 26% drop in state aid since the 2007-08 school year. Enrollment in the district dropped 4.7% between the 2007-08 and 2022-23 school years, according to the most recent available enrollment data.
Lindenwold saw the largest increase. Its funding rose 247%, while its enrollment grew nearly 36% between the 2007-08 and 2022-23 school years, the most recent available enrollment data.
The 2008 funding formula includes a multi-step equation that takes into account each student’s age, economic status, if they are in special education or if they are English language learners. It also considers how much school tax money districts get from local residents.
The state gives school districts a minimum of about $12,400 per student, but that number can go up based on they types of students enrolled and other factors. Because funding is not based strictly on enrollment, some school districts have seen their funding go up even as the number of students in their schools have declined.
The Murphy administration’s school funding numbers for the 2024-25 school year are still just a proposal. The full state budget must be approved by the state Senate and Assembly and signed by Murphy by this summer before it is finalized.
Can’t see the chart? Click here.
Editor’s note: Data from the 2007-2008 and 2022-2023 school years were used to calculate enrollment changes. Statewide enrollment data for 2023-2024 is not yet available.
Stories by Katie Kausch
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Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch.