Average New Jersey District Educates Children for 24% Less
Senator Christopher (Kip) Bateman (R-16) had this to say after seeing published reports that it will cost $16,407 per pupil this year to educate students in the Abbott districts, $3,198 (24 percent) more than the state average:
“The average spending on an Abbott district student will be $16,407 in the 2007-2008 school year, based on Corzine administration filings with the state Supreme Court.
“In contrast, state Department of Education figures indicate the Hillsborough district in Somerset County will spend an estimated $10,928, nearly $5,500 less per student than the average Abbott district received. Somerville Borough will spend $13,100, or $3,307 less.
“Hillsborough and Somerville Borough school officials will never boost spending to the average Abbott district’s funding level because they are accountable to local taxpayers.
“The Abbott districts, however, run almost entirely on state aid, providing little or no local restraint on spending. So it’s no surprise that the administration’s own figures show Abbott spending averages $2,700 more per pupil than in the most affluent school systems in New Jersey.
“And the spending will rise if nothing is done. Under Governor Corzine’s budget, state aid to the Abbott districts will increase by $209 million next year to a total of $4.64 billion. That, based on the administration’s filings with the court, will boost Abbott spending to a whopping $17,151 per student. In one Abbott district, spending will top $18,000 per student.
“I applaud the governor’s efforts to wrest control of education aid from the courts, which have decided the only way to lift up our needy children is to pump vast sums of money into the Abbott districts with little or no accountability for results.
“Instead, out-of-control spending on Abbott districts diverts resources from equally deserving students in other districts, as well as overburdens state taxpayers. Whatever the court rules, I urge the governor to look at Abbott district spending for further cuts in the budget.”
Link to Post:
http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/bateman/bateman-why-is-abbott-spending-disparity-so-large/307
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