State needs to treat school districts fairly

And now we play the waiting game. Administrators and school board members in suburban school districts such as the ones that operate in this region are anxiously waiting to hear how much state aid will be received for the 2006-07 school year.

The budgets for the upcoming school year are being developed right now and will be placed before residents over the next few weeks. In April, residents will go to the polls and vote to approve or reject the budget for the school district, or districts, that serve their municipality.

At stake will be hundreds of millions of dollars in expenditures for salaries, supplies, transportation, activities, capital improvements and everything else it takes to run a school district.

The annual election for the school budget and board of education members is set for April 18. A bill may be introduced in the state Legislature to reschedule the vote for April 25.

The reason for the possible switch in the election date is an anticipated delay in the presentation of the state budget by Gov. Jon Corzine.

The state budget to be presented by the new governor at the end of March will include the school aid that is going to be provided to local districts during the 2006-07 school year. Without having that figure available, school administrators are unable to complete the development of their budget.

Some school administrators have indicated they are preparing their 2006-07 budget assuming they will receive at least the same amount of state aid they received in 2005-06, although there is no guarantee that will be the case. That has left administrators, board members and anxious taxpayers waiting for the accurate figures to be provided by the governor.

Here in suburbia, we’re not convinced that Corzine understands the depth of the problem surrounding school funding, but we are willing to let the governor learn. An overabundance of state financial aid provided to New Jersey’s 31 poorest school districts — the so-called Abbott districts — have drained funds away from hundreds of other school districts that need help, too.

It is time for the pendulum to start swinging back our way.

While the governor may not fully comprehend the impact of the school funding fiasco, we are certain that our local legislators do. They have heard from citizens and they have read stories in the local newspapers that state this problem day after day, week after week.

The Abbott districts are taking way too big of a bite from the education aid apple. The Abbott districts are getting the fruit and everyone else is getting the worm.

We do not expect to see changes in this school budget cycle — the governor has been in office for less than two months — and property owners should brace for some harsh tax news in the next few weeks.

Fairness is required for all New Jersey school districts; our senators and Assembly representatives know this and should start speaking up now.