Garden State Times

TRENTON, N.J. – The N.J. Department of Education is slated to release more than $3.5 million in stabilization aid to five school districts in Ocean, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties, as announced by Assemblymen Rob Clifton and Alex Sauickie.

“While this stabilization aid is a huge win for us and a relief for our schools planning their budgets for the next year, students and schools deserve a more predictable and equitable funding formula. We aren’t done fighting,” stated Clifton (R-Monmouth).

Last year, Sauickie testified before the Assembly Budget Committee to describe the fiscal cliff schools are facing and the consequences of not reforming the law that dictates school aid.

“Schools, teachers and students have never needed our support more than now as they strive to overcome unprecedented learning loss and crisis-level funding cuts. We celebrate the fact that our school districts can count on this aid, but we are worried about the future, because the same districts face cuts each year. We will continue to push for fairer and stable funding so that all children can receive a high-quality education in New Jersey,” expressed Sauickie (R-Ocean).

The following school districts will receive stabilization aid for the 24-25 school year:

- $2,137,833 for Jackson Township School District

- $264,898 for Plumsted Township School District

- $10,044 for Upper Freehold Regional School District

- $411,082 for Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District

- $682,746 for Old Bridge Township School District

To help schools adjust to new funding levels as determined by the school funding measure enacted in 2018, this year’s budget is projected to include $20 million in stabilization aid, the same as last year.

“With the entire state allocated a total of $20 million for stabilization aid, we are happy that we were able to get close to 20% of it for the five school districts we represent. We’ll continue to be their advocates in Trenton and continue to push for reform to avoid further cuts of teachers and programs in support of the children and parents we represent,” Clifton and Sauickie said jointly.