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The Problem
The Problem
Recently, Haddon Township School District (along with nearly a quarter of school districts in the state), discovered that they would be the subject of state funding cuts. In Haddon Township, this cut amounted to more than $800,000 (an 8.1% reduction). The possible reason for the cuts has been given as rising incomes in Haddon Township. Given the maximum annual 2% cap on raising property taxes, there is also no way to make up this deficit.
This cut is a devastating blow to our district and community and will lead to reductions in educational services, programs, opportunities, and staff. Combined with rising costs not accounted for in the state funding formula, this cut places additional strains on the district's already stretched resources.
Even after increasing the local tax levy the maximum allowed amount of 2% percent, the district would have still faced a budget shortage before the state funding cuts.
After the state cuts and some initial reductions, the district still faces a potential deficit of around $2 million.
How You Can Help
How You Can Help
There are several bills in the NJ State Legislature that could aid our district if they were passed. These include:
Assembly Bill A3798 and Senate Bill S1410 (Highest Priority)
This bill eliminates the outdated census-based method of estimating special education costs and instead uses actual district special education classification rates to determine funding allocations. In Haddon Township, this would lead to us recapturing more than $1 million additional dollars of funding annually.Assembly Bill A1282
This bill would fully fund extraordinary special education state aid.Assembly Bills A4048, A4003, A1280 and Senate Bill S1986
These bills would review and improve the state funding formula (SFRA). The Local Fair Share calculations in the SFRA have proven to be unpredictable and unstable, which makes anticipating and forecasting them impossible.
In addition, we are asking our elected officials to require the NJDOE to reimburse Special Education Extraordinary Aid at the rate laid out in State Statute.
In order to be most effective, it is important for us to keep the pressure on our government officials, which is why we are organizing specific days for each school community in the district to reach out. Below you will find the advocacy date for each school, as well as contact information, sample letters, and call scripts.
Advocacy Dates
Advocacy Dates
Monday Messages - On Mondays, we are asking our community to mail letters and/or send emails (Use the sample letters below to help you.)
Friday Phone Calls - On Fridays, we are asking our community to call our government officials. (Use the call scripts below to help you.)
Contact Information, Sample Letters, Call Scripts
Contact Information, Sample Letters, Call Scripts
For each letter, add your own contact information at the top, and sign the letter at the end. You can also choose to copy/paste the letter into an email.
Feel free to make each letter or script your own - share personal stories about how this will affect you.
Governor Phil Murphy
Office of Governor PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone Number: 609-292-6000
Text Governor Murphy: (732) 605-5455
Email Address: constituent.relations@nj.gov
Email Form (choose Education as your subject/topic): https://nj.gov/governor/contact/
Kevin Dehmer
Acting Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Education
PO Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625-0500
Phone Number: (609) 376-3500
Email Address: kevin.dehmer@doe.nj.gov
Sen Budget Chair, Paul Sarlo
Email Address: SenSarlo@njleg.org
Phone Number: 201-804-8118
Note: S1410 is with the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee for review and approval (current highest priority Senate bill for HTSD)
Sen Education Chair, Vin Gopal
Email Address: SenGopal@njleg.org
Phone Number: 732-695-3371
Note: S1986 is with the Senate Education Committee for review and approval
Asm Budget Chair, Eliana Pintor Marin
Email Address: AswPintorMarin@njleg.org
Phone Number: 973-589-0713
NOTE: You can email Senator Beach, Assemblywoman Lampitt, and Assemblyman Greenwald simultaneously at this link by making sure to check all boxes for each of them at any of the email form links below.
Senator James Beach
221 Laurel Road, Suite 105
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Phone Number: (856) 429-1572
Email Address: SenBeach@njleg.org
Email Form: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/310/senator-beach/contact
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt
Assembly Education Committee Chair
1101 Laurel Oak Rd., Suite 150
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Phonoe Number: (856) 435-1247
Email Address: AswLampitt@njleg.org
Email Form: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/251/assemblywoman-lampitt/contact
Note: A3798, A4003, and A1280 are with the Assembly Education Committee for review and approval (A3798 is the current highest priority Assembly bill for HTSD)
Assemblyman Louis Greenwald
1101 Laurel Oak Rd. Suite 150
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Phone Number: (856) 435-1247
Email Address: AsmGreenwald@njleg.org
Email Form: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/155/assemblyman-greenwald/contact
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