BREAKING: State Budget Wipes Out Funding For Lakewood Schools

A budget passed today in New Jersey’s Senate Budget Committee has struck $30 million in aid that Lakewood was expecting to receive from the State.

Under Governor Murphy’s proposed budget, Lakewood was set to receive $30 million to assist the district’s ailing schools. The Governor’s office was to give Lakewood a $6.1 million increase in transportation aid and $8.9 million in special education aid.

Lakewood was also set to receive an additional $15 million for what is termed provisional stabilization aid. The budget passed today in committee completely wipes out all of that funding.

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin praised the passed budget, saying it funds Legislative Democrats’ priorities as well as Governor Murphy’s priorities. “The spending plan includes significant and much-needed increases in funding for property tax relief, seniors, veterans, higher education, community colleges, NJ Transit, and more,” said Coughlin in a statement.

Governor Murphy and his team do not share the Speaker’s enthusiasm, as the budget doesn’t include the governor’s plan to place a tax on New Jersey’s millionaire’s and corporations.

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28 COMMENTS

  1. Seeems like the vadd was mislead when they suggested and endorsed Murphy. We need better representation In Trenton. We need to vote out incumbents and vote in someone from our community.

  2. Thank G-d for Christie 2% property tax cap. Otherwise our taxes were skyrocket. They are really much higher due to all the loans but we dont have to pay morw than 2% more per year. Murphy is trying to remove the cap.

  3. VOTE REPUBLICAN

    Again and again, we fall for the promises of democratic politicians, and we get nothing back.

    Vote Republican next time at-least chance of saving Property taxes.

  4. You voted for the guy reap what you sow. Next time vote for the one more aligned with our values. Voting for someone based on getting funding is kind of apikorses as money comes from Hashem and as you see you don’t get it anyway.

    • Hey Katz, we already pay a lot more than anyone else. Public School Education $13k per child. ESL Public Education $17k per child, busing $1k per child and only of the child qualifies for mandated busing.

  5. I for one support this as I am not a landlord but have compassion as I recall the holy Torah saying yet you too were strangers and love thy stranger and j welcome all refugees and their children

  6. Whoever wrote this article (and whichever asken fed him the information) does not seem to have a comprehensive understanding of what happened today in Trenton or 9f the budget process in general.

  7. If you wish to make life easier for everyone you will understand the differences between you’re history and lifestyle and the community you wish to live with. We are not against the religion! we are against change that are forced on us in community housing, lifestyle restrictions and special demands on others, developments that cover 90 % of property with little or no foliage and traffic problems created by over populations. We will open arm any neighbor if the fear of strong arming is held down.

    • George – your points are well taken and worth thinking about. We all came here instead of staying in Europe or countries like Syria, thinking that America was a diverse place that found room in its heart for different types of people. This is why the Puritans came, the Quakers, the Amish, the Jews, and so many others. They each created communities within the larger fabric of America. That is why America is such a great place. Perhaps try to extend a welcoming hand to an Orthodox neighbor, you will likely be surprised by the warmth and friendliness you receive in return.

  8. Gov. Murphy put 30MM extra for Lakewood in this year’s annual budget. He did that as a one time remedy to fix a problem – he knows, and the DOE admits, that Lakewood taxpayers are badly cheated by a flawed antiquated state formula that discriminates against Lakewood.

    Murphy can propose budgets, but those are one year fixes. He cannot change the flawed formula, only the legislature can change legislation.

    Senate President Sweeney rejected the Governor’s budget and put in his own alternative budget. Sweeney reviewed the Governors budget and made line by line changes. He cut the 30MM out for Lakewood, despite knowing that this will bankrupt the school district. He did this not out of malice to Lakewood, but because he needs votes from North Jersey and the folks up in Patterson and a few other towns promised him their votes in the Senate and Assembly if they got more money which meant Lakewood got cut.

    For all those talking about Republicans, both Murphy and Sweeney are Democrats. Since we live in a very blue state we don’t have much choice in who we work with – we don’t get to choose the sandbox and try to work with whoever is in office. This is a time honored Jewish (and very practical way).

    The irony of all this – Murphy and Sweeney are bitter enemies, and they are both typically sensitive to the needs of Lakewood. Today’s challenge of Lakewood losing this 30MM was not due to malice against Lakewood but a by product of the Sweeney Murphy fight.

    Some other things to look out: Toms River’s budget was heavily cut in a previous round of Trenton infighting. Other districts previously got hurt bad. Now it was our turn, as a 30MM number in a budget is a big target.

    Stand by, we are now going into the 3rd inning of this and it is difficult to call the outcome until, as Yogi Berra famously allegedly said, “it ain’t over till it’s over.”

  9. I think we should unite & all register for the public school system for Sept

    I am sure they will give us whatever we need to run our own schools.

    com’n kehillah lets DO IT !

  10. @goldberger, I don’t think most people realize how dangerous that is. While you’re trying to force the town to give in by flooding the enrollment, here are some other things that will be forced…

    Your children will be forced to attend the nearest school, with others who either don’t share your values, or don’t have any values.

    They will be forced to ride buses, take gym, and learn “reproductive education” in co-ed classes. (but hey, think of how much they’ll save in transportation!).

    Their religious studies will be “some people think a g-d created man, but science shows we’re descended from apes”, and children will become more accepting of other beliefs. And who has time to complete their studies when overwhelmed with homework?

    The rest of their studies will be what the school/ state feel are appropriate reading, which most certainly isn’t.

    The cafeteria won’t offer separate tables for the boy who brought a ham sandwich.

    Bad enough yet? How about “the town will push to raise taxes to make up for the new buildings, books, and teachers?” And when everyone realizes their mistake, they will go back to paying tuitions and still have to pay for the (now empty) new schools.

    It sounds great to try and force them to give in, but I’m pretty sure you have a lot more to lose than they do.

  11. you fools got what you voted for and I don’t feel sorry for you, but I don’t think you have learned your lessons. next time vote republican

Comments are closed.