Senator Jim Holzapfel, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, and Assemblyman John Catalano blasted huge cuts to several school districts in the 10th Legislative District that were just announced as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s FY 2024 state budget proposal.

Sen. Jim Holzapfel, Asm. Greg McGuckin, and Asm. John Catalano blasted huge cuts to several school districts in the 10th Legislative District that were just announced as part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s FY 2024 state budget proposal. (Flickr)

“Governor Murphy’s massive school aid cuts to Brick and Toms River are malicious and unnecessary when he’s building a $10 billion budget surplus and putting $1 billion more into schools in other parts of the state,” Holzapfel said. “There’s absolutely no reason that schools in Ocean County or anywhere else should have their funding cut when the state is so flush with cash.”

According to school aid data provided today by the New Jersey Department of Education, nearly half of the school districts in the 10th Legislative District would have funding reduced under the governor’s budget proposal.

The largest cuts in state school aid include $14.421 million to Toms River Regional (-31.8%), $2.542 million to Brick (-14.8%), and $215,059 to Seaside Heights (-31.8%). Smaller cuts will impact schools in Lavalette (-3.5%) and Point Pleasant Beach (-0.6%).

“Increased funding for schools shouldn’t come at the expense of other children’s education,” said McGuckin. “All children deserve a thorough and efficient education, but Murphy’s budget and funding formula picks winners and losers. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been taken from Ocean County school districts to increase funding in Democrat districts. If Murphy really wants to address the learning loss all students experienced from his draconian lockdowns, he has to fully fund all schools.”

Total state funding to schools in the 10th Legislative District would decline by 18.8%, according to the Murphy administration.

“How do you cut state aid to Toms River by 32% and Brick by 15% and expect them to survive?” Catalano asked. “After absorbing years of aid reductions by the Murphy administration, there’s nothing left for these districts to cut. Unless you want classrooms without teachers, the governor’s budget cuts will lead to huge property tax increases in these towns. It seems crazy these harmful cuts are being proposed while Governor Murphy is building a $10 billion budget surplus that isn’t helping anyone.”