State Senator Steven Oroho, R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon, said this in response to reports that Abbott districts now spend $16,407 per pupil, 24% more than the state average, and will see their funding rise to more than $17,000 a student in fiscal 2008-2009:
At a time when well-run districts are educating students for $11,000 a pupil or less, it is troubling to hear that average spending by the Abbott districts has far surpassed that of even the most affluent school systems in the state. All students deserve a great education, but there’s no evidence that the vast amounts of money the state pumps into the Abbott districts produces anywhere near the results we should expect for the money.
That’s hardly surprising given there’s no incentive for Abbott officials to be efficient. The state pays nearly 100% of their budgets. No local taxpayers complain about the expense, nor do the state Supreme Court justices responsible for this bailout of dysfunctional districts seem troubled by the ballooning cost to hard-pressed taxpayers.
The Abbotts are already taking 55 percent of state aid though they have just 23 percent of the state’s enrollment. Next year, instead of holding the line, the Corzine administration is going to boost the Abbotts’ budget by $209 million to a whopping $4.64 billion – or more than $17,000 a student.
Along with several of my colleagues, we have offered a constitutional amendment, SCR-44, that would cap state spending in districts with special needs to the statewide average for per pupil spending, not the highest levels as we do now.
I call on the Corzine administration and the Department of Education to develop a plan to cut spending in the Abbott districts without cutting quality – a plan with the kinds of built-in incentives for efficient use of resources that private businesses and well-run government agencies and school districts implement all the time.
If they need ideas for cutting expenses, I suggest they call administrators at districts that are producing well-rounded students for three-quarters of the current cost of the Abbotts.
Link to Post:
http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/oroho/oroho-abbotts-arent-penalized-for-inefficiency/308
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