School Aid Figure Rankles Superintendent

Red Bank School District isn't getting enough support from the state.

That's long been the message of the , the message of the parents, and more recently the message of State Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-11, who of getting the borough's schools more money last year with an active campaign and pledge to support a district many feel has gotten the short end of the financial stick.

Now, during a new state budget cycle, Superintendent Laura Morana feels as though her district is still getting the squeeze.

Gov. Chris Christie recently announced his proposed state budget and along with it school aid figures for the next school year. Overall, schools throughout the state are getting more funding than they ever have before. Red Bank is getting a funding increase, too, up from just over $2 million in state aid to $2.25. It's an increase of more than 9 percent, though Morana said it's not in line with what the borough needs to operate without continuing to make cutbacks.

"We appreciate any state aid that we could possibly receive, but it was not the amount we were hoping," she said. "It will not allow us to do the things we really need to do. But, this is not a new situation, it's gone on for the past several years years. We've all had to deal with reality, yes, but this will be the third year that we've had significant reductions to programs and activities. Right now I'm thinking about key positions in the borough, positions we need like literacy and math specialists, that we've had to remove."

According to a release from the governor's office, the K-12 state school aid total is approximately $7.8 billion, an increase of $135 million over last year and part of $213 million in additional state aid funding for education over the state's last fiscal year. Distribution, at least in terms of percentage, is not equal among districts, however.

Nearby towns like Little Silver and Shrewsbury, though they receive significantly less funding each year, saw increases of more than 31 and 27 percent, respectively.

Morana said Red Bank's funding doesn't match the district's need. School districts like Long Branch and Asbury Park, two former Abbott Districts with similar socio-economic demographics to Red Bank, receive vastly more in terms of state funding. In all, more than 81 percent of school children in Red Bank qualify for free or reduced lunch, a total that puts the borough in line with many districts that receive Abbott levels of funding.

According to Beck, Red Bank is one of just 14 districts throughout the state funded at 20 percent below adequacy. That figure is determined by the state itself.

Changing anyone's mind, well, that's something for the next budget cycle, Morana said.

"We will continue to advocate through communication with the commissioner (of education)," She said. "We have had such a prudent budgeting process over the years and we have been very conservative with our spending."