Monday, April 4, 2016

Costing Out Help for the Severely Underaided


The (proposed) 2016-17 K-12 aid distribution would leave hundreds of New Jersey districts underaided, but not evenly so.

For 2016-17:

  • 190 districts will be underaided by $1000 per student or more.  
  • 130 will be underaided by $2,000 per student or more.
  • 82 will be underaided by $3,000 per student or more.
  • 51 will be underaided by $4,000 per student or more.
  • 30 will be underaided by $5,000 per student or more.
  • 13 will be underaided by $6,000 per student or more.
  • 7 will be underaided by $7,000 per student or more.  (Fairview, Passaic County Vo-Tech, Atlantic County Vo-Tech, Freehold Boro, East Newark, Manchester Regional, and Bound Brook.)
  • 1 (ONE) will be underaided by -$9,176, Bound Brook.
(Counting vo-techs)

My personal (arbitrary but reasonable) threshold for severe underaiding is a per student deficit of $4,000 per student or more. I believe that underaiding below $4,000 a student is unacceptable and the state must prioritize bringing these districts up to a less-awful level of underaiding and then bring more and more districts up in a "raise the floor" strategy.

To bring the 51 districts who are underaided up to a $4,000 per student deficit would be $180,465,278. Excluding vo-techs, the cost would be $160,583,245.

$160 MILLION IS ACHIEVABLE! 

$160 million is only 28% of the $567 million in excess aid that NJ's 199 overaided districts get.  If we used just $80 million in new revenue or higher taxes overaided districts might only have to unclench $80 million, or not even 14% of their aid.  

A $4,000 per student deficit would still be terrible for these districts, but it is a hell of a lot less awful than having a $5,000 per student deficit, a $6,000 per student deficit, or a $7,000 per student deficit.  

DistrictCountyEstimated 2016-17 Student Pop.Uncapped Aid 2016-17Capped AidProposed AidActual Aid Per StudentSFRA Aid TargetAid Deficit Per StudentAmount of Money to Bring up to a $4,000 per student deficit
SOMERVILLE BOROSOMERSET1,608$11,887,609$6,459,644$5,438,486$3,382$7,393-$4,011$17,123
RIVERSIDE TWPBURLINGTON1,263$16,014,953$13,019,760$10,939,934$8,662$12,680-$4,018$23,019
ROSELLE PARK BOROUNION2,004$18,615,015$12,552,317$10,554,830$5,267$9,289-$4,022$44,185
EAST WINDSOR REG.MERCER4,997$39,131,109$22,198,614$18,681,802$3,739$7,831-$4,092$461,307
MAPLE SHADE TWPBURLINGTON2,233$17,933,949$10,278,581$8,650,279$3,874$8,031-$4,157$351,670
HILLSBOROUGH TWP (MILLSTONE)SOMERSET77$428,863$125,690$106,759$1,386$5,570-$4,183$14,104
BELLEVILLE TOWNESSEX4,596$45,505,776$30,869,910$25,971,780$5,651$9,901-$4,250$1,149,996
NEWTON TOWNSUSSEX1,106$10,710,680$7,023,182$5,934,041$5,365$9,684-$4,319$352,639
CARTERET BOROMIDDLESEX3,661$42,933,573$32,212,966$27,088,743$7,399$11,727-$4,328$1,200,830
CLIFTON PASSAIC11,012$75,751,502$31,510,847$26,578,363$2,414$6,879-$4,465$5,125,139
WOODBRIDGEMIDDLESEX13,531$84,770,585$28,345,702$23,934,460$1,769$6,265-$4,496$6,712,125
HAMMONTON TOWNATLANTIC2,751$28,031,564$16,112,417$15,483,174$5,628$10,190-$4,561$1,544,390
WOODLYNNE BOROCAMDEN565$9,620,198$8,326,585$6,995,917$12,382$17,027-$4,645$364,281
RED BANK BOROMONMOUTH1,413$9,691,103$3,595,644$3,057,374$2,164$6,859-$4,695$981,729
LINDENUNION5,789$48,548,430$23,327,473$21,342,950$3,687$8,386-$4,700$4,049,480
KINGSWAY REGIONALGLOUCESTER2,453$20,478,875$10,490,855$8,866,900$3,615$8,349-$4,734$1,799,975
DELRAN TWPBURLINGTON3,055$26,256,160$13,842,684$11,649,439$3,813$8,594-$4,781$2,386,721
CLAYTON BOROGLOUCESTER1,374$16,555,142$11,697,448$9,975,618$7,260$12,049-$4,789$1,083,524
WHARTON BOROMORRIS800$7,949,786$4,286,351$4,095,834$5,120$9,937-$4,817$653,952
BELLMAWR BOROCAMDEN1,101$10,487,509$5,964,559$5,180,807$4,706$9,525-$4,820$902,702
JAMESBURGMIDDLESEX900$9,562,725$6,033,719$5,078,778$5,643$10,625-$4,982$883,947
BLOOMFIELD ESSEX6,443$53,754,269$24,990,977$21,057,962$3,268$8,343-$5,075$6,924,307
WALLINGTONBERGEN1,386$10,152,234$3,683,298$3,108,299$2,243$7,325-$5,082$1,499,935
NORTH PLAINFIELD BOROSOMERSET3,304$41,709,864$29,583,078$24,863,280$7,525$12,624-$5,099$3,630,584
DUNELLENMIDDLESEX1,122$11,254,938$6,526,454$5,494,391$4,897$10,031-$5,134$1,272,547
BAYONNE HUDSON9,310$103,460,384$64,229,592$54,016,434$5,802$11,113-$5,311$12,203,950
CHESTERFIELDBURLINGTON801$4,679,985$484,246$419,983$524$5,843-$5,318$1,056,002
NORTH BRUNSWICKMIDDLESEX6,214$45,204,130$14,042,981$11,862,491$1,909$7,275-$5,366$8,485,639
PROSPECT PARK PASSAIC885$12,965,819$9,467,357$7,960,774$8,995$14,651-$5,655$1,465,045
KEARNY HUDSON5,833$64,095,299$36,761,574$30,928,987$5,302$10,988-$5,686$9,834,312
HALEDON PASSAIC1,023$12,720,150$8,167,399$6,869,486$6,715$12,434-$5,719$1,758,664
LINDENWOLD CAMDEN2,702$40,247,064$29,067,091$24,764,150$9,165$14,895-$5,730$4,674,914
LODI BERGEN3,373$34,037,808$17,243,096$14,508,710$4,301$10,091-$5,790$6,037,098
LITTLE FERRYBERGEN1,343$9,429,570$1,757,785$1,490,787$1,110$7,021-$5,911$2,566,783
DOVER TOWNMORRIS2,838$38,752,622$26,065,832$21,923,523$7,725$13,655-$5,930$5,477,099
MANVILLE BOROSOMERSET1,481$14,161,769$6,309,439$5,312,769$3,587$9,562-$5,975$2,925,000
DOVER TOWN (VICTORY GARDENS)MORRIS292$4,567,529$3,318,086$2,788,813$9,551$15,642-$6,091$610,716
GUTTENBERGHUDSON1,287$13,078,786$6,039,887$5,096,583$3,960$10,162-$6,202$2,834,203
ELMWOOD PARKBERGEN2,639$20,120,622$3,672,606$3,127,693$1,185$7,624-$6,439$6,436,929
ATLANTIC CITYATLANTIC6,770$64,690,557$21,096,204$18,859,785$2,786$9,555-$6,770$18,750,772
HI NELLACAMDEN143$1,846,524$1,028,254$866,421$6,059$12,913-$6,854$408,103
RIDGEFIELD PARK TWPBERGEN2,082$19,442,811$5,882,209$4,962,421$2,383$9,339-$6,955$6,152,390
FAIRVIEW BOROBERGEN1,704$19,607,972$8,872,379$7,478,669$4,389$11,507-$7,118$5,313,303
FREEHOLD BOROMONMOUTH1,692$22,573,828$11,571,900$9,744,020$5,759$13,342-$7,583$6,061,808
EAST NEWARK HUDSON410$6,616,994$4,074,908$3,426,439$8,357$16,139-$7,782$1,550,555
MANCHESTER REGPASSAIC892$13,678,851$6,218,363$6,588,302$7,386$15,335-$7,949$3,522,549
BOUND BROOKSOMERSET1,744$24,205,758$9,211,945$8,202,558$4,703$13,879-$9,176$9,027,200
TOTAL:$160,583,245


If New Jersey's political class wanted to increase the aid of the sub-$5,000 per student districts up to a $5,000 per student deficit, the amount would be $62,767,407, barely even a tenth of what NJ's overaided districts get in excess aid.

Percentage Underaiding

If a governor wanted to broaden the definition of severely underaided, he could consider the districts whose aid deficits are not exceptionally large, but who are severely underaided in percentage terms.  

To bring up the 108 districts who get less than 50% of their uncapped aid and whose aid deficits are less than $4,000 per student up to 50% (which is still very bad underaiding) would cost 



DistrictCountyEstimated 2016-17 Student Pop.Uncapped AidCapped AidActual AidPercentage of Uncapped Aid ReceivedAmount to Bring the District up to 50% Aid
BOONTON TWPMORRIS708$949,605$511,415$474,13449.9%$669
LITTLE FALLS TWPPASSAIC879$1,086,586$582,143$540,49449.7%$2,799
NORTHERN VALLEY REG.BERGEN2,248$2,501,813$1,335,101$1,242,08249.6%$8,825
RAMSEY BERGEN2,558$2,688,992$1,423,418$1,325,99149.3%$18,505
CRANBURY TWPMIDDLESEX737$965,766$513,153$476,04149.3%$6,842
SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOODUNION5,293$6,157,214$3,242,259$3,014,46649.0%$64,141
ALPINEBERGEN226$301,313$158,275$146,82148.7%$3,836
PARK RIDGE BERGEN1,206$1,218,544$635,358$592,58848.6%$16,684
DEMARESTBERGEN682$683,874$356,439$332,47748.6%$9,460
ORADELLBERGEN749$728,528$378,941$353,73248.6%$10,532
SAYREVILLE MIDDLESEX6,186$44,035,804$25,319,506$21,330,94248.4%$686,960
HOLMDEL TWPMONMOUTH2,851$3,910,598$2,019,321$1,872,72947.9%$82,570
BORDENTOWNBURLINGTON2,572$16,824,155$9,532,595$8,028,13347.7%$383,945
FAIR HAVEN BOROMONMOUTH947$917,715$465,876$435,15647.4%$23,702
WESTFIELD UNION6,200$6,431,628$3,251,949$3,032,99947.2%$182,815
WOODCLIFF LAKEBERGEN757$777,246$391,762$365,48447.0%$23,139
HARRINGTON PARKBERGEN645$631,628$317,481$296,53146.9%$19,283
FLORHAM PARKMORRIS946$1,061,192$534,516$497,76746.9%$32,829
WEST LONG BRANCH BOROMONMOUTH549$604,421$304,255$283,44246.9%$18,769
HIGHLAND PARK BOROMIDDLESEX1,651$7,856,948$3,990,966$3,676,78446.8%$251,690
PASCACK VALLEY REG.BERGEN2,067$2,443,961$1,221,596$1,136,54546.5%$85,436
EWING MERCER3,531$20,825,956$10,556,319$9,668,08746.4%$744,891
EDGEWATER BERGEN1,357$2,106,153$1,133,478$975,36046.3%$77,717
GLEN ROCK BOROBERGEN2,461$2,406,511$1,189,374$1,111,26346.2%$91,993
WAYNEPASSAIC7,687$8,800,898$4,341,055$4,042,74645.9%$357,703
PARAMUS BERGEN3,780$4,460,541$2,201,085$2,048,46145.9%$181,810
MEDFORD LAKES BOROBURLINGTON534$2,495,531$1,357,350$1,144,81745.9%$102,949
MONTVALE BOROBERGEN978$1,121,275$551,671$513,77845.8%$46,860
WATCHUNG BOROSOMERSET674$947,467$466,925$433,18645.7%$40,548
CLARK TWPUNION2,176$2,380,199$1,259,293$1,080,12945.4%$109,971
MENDHAM TWPMORRIS646$968,863$473,046$438,49545.3%$45,937
CRESSKILL BOROBERGEN1,758$1,703,737$893,496$768,57245.1%$83,297
RIVERDALE MORRIS468$568,958$273,309$254,32344.7%$30,156
FAIRFIELD TWPESSEX602$711,309$340,275$316,88244.5%$38,773
MENDHAM BOROMORRIS549$576,312$274,269$256,37744.5%$31,779
BERKELEY HEIGHTS TWPUNION2,229$2,691,317$1,286,187$1,197,25144.5%$148,408
EAST GREENWICH TWPGLOUCESTER1,319$7,821,477$4,097,686$3,475,96944.4%$434,770
NORTHERN HIGHLANDS REGBERGEN1,018$1,343,567$641,648$596,27244.4%$75,512
BERNARDS TWPSOMERSET5,639$7,347,611$3,807,175$3,255,27644.3%$418,530
HO HO KUS BOROBERGEN865$1,079,288$512,480$477,28744.2%$62,357
CHATHAMMORRIS4,067$4,540,429$2,148,455$2,003,49044.1%$266,725
UPPER SADDLE RIVER BOROBERGEN1,178$1,249,683$585,356$546,67943.7%$78,163
VERONA ESSEX2,129$2,138,098$1,065,176$916,68842.9%$152,361
PISCATAWAY TWPMIDDLESEX7,225$37,161,238$18,851,645$15,911,19042.8%$2,669,429
OAKLAND BOROBERGEN1,458$1,605,112$732,829$684,24942.6%$118,307
CARLSTADT BERGEN539$608,473$277,185$258,67642.5%$45,561
WEST ESSEX REG.ESSEX1,746$2,482,156$1,132,716$1,051,98242.4%$189,096
WOOD-RIDGE BOROBERGEN1,098$1,878,573$933,744$795,31442.3%$143,973
GREEN BROOK TWPSOMERSET1,330$2,271,909$1,031,946$955,66042.1%$180,295
METUCHEN BOROMIDDLESEX2,201$2,583,537$1,156,559$1,079,20841.8%$212,561
WYCKOFF TWPBERGEN2,041$2,177,590$968,191$905,14141.6%$183,654
CLOSTER BOROBERGEN1,083$1,079,337$478,239$447,86541.5%$91,804
SUMMIT UNION3,993$3,993,374$1,767,780$1,655,47041.5%$341,217
CEDAR GROVE TWPESSEX1,649$1,887,888$833,038$777,63841.2%$166,306
RAMAPO-INDIAN HILL REGBERGEN2,323$3,109,222$1,376,243$1,280,37941.2%$274,232
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS BERGEN584$732,541$323,368$301,24541.1%$65,026
CLIFFSIDE PARK BOROBERGEN2,535$8,914,644$4,324,697$3,665,60341.1%$791,719
ALLENDALE BOROBERGEN888$842,024$369,103$346,19641.1%$74,816
TOTOWA BOROPASSAIC1,036$1,138,369$539,312$463,90040.8%$105,285
RUMSON BOROMONMOUTH938$970,884$418,806$392,11240.4%$93,330
RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN REGMONMOUTH996$1,126,274$481,631$449,96340.0%$113,174
RIVER VALE TWPBERGEN1,162$1,205,495$511,737$479,33039.8%$123,418
MONTVILLE TWPMORRIS3,701$4,749,625$2,017,557$1,880,32339.6%$494,490
MADISON BOROMORRIS2,424$2,572,973$1,086,518$1,017,10739.5%$269,380
NEW PROVIDENCE BOROUNION2,362$2,424,468$1,100,852$949,02339.1%$263,211
TENAFLY BOROBERGEN3,585$3,689,413$1,540,625$1,443,84539.1%$400,862
HADDONFIELDCAMDEN2,561$2,467,412$1,111,040$959,68738.9%$274,019
LIVINGSTON ESSEX6,005$6,749,287$2,789,816$2,609,30138.7%$765,343
SOMERSET HILLS REG.SOMERSET1,751$2,331,966$964,821$898,90638.5%$267,077
LITTLE SILVER BOROMONMOUTH841$836,474$342,720$321,65538.5%$96,582
MILLBURN ESSEX4,904$5,320,620$2,179,960$2,041,21738.4%$619,093
EDISON MIDDLESEX14,758$37,051,030$16,537,782$14,035,49037.9%$4,490,025
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS BORO (TETERBORO)BERGEN8$9,052$3,976$3,42137.8%$1,105
HACKENSACK BERGEN5,421$34,391,618$15,379,392$12,963,67437.7%$4,232,135
RIDGEWOOD VILLAGEBERGEN5,538$5,840,214$2,342,127$2,196,00037.6%$724,107
WATCHUNG HILLS REG.SOMERSET1,752$2,640,122$1,067,241$992,39837.6%$327,663
CALDWELL-WEST CALDWELLESSEX2,582$2,812,583$1,114,674$1,044,52337.1%$361,769
MOUNTAINSIDE BOROUNION1,037$1,369,401$541,600$505,40836.9%$179,293
NORTH CALDWELLESSEX643$664,878$256,815$241,17236.3%$91,267
SECAUCUS TOWNHUDSON2,123$2,776,625$1,164,031$999,54236.0%$388,771
HANOVER PARK REG.MORRIS1,615$2,393,042$900,535$838,82835.1%$357,693
BOONTON TOWNMORRIS1,075$3,405,785$1,226,077$1,190,81435.0%$512,079
GLEN RIDGE BOROESSEX1,852$2,273,846$834,230$780,89234.3%$356,031
LYNDHURST TWPBERGEN2,459$5,990,097$2,415,864$2,053,59734.3%$941,452
ABSECON CITYATLANTIC903$4,506,560$1,821,870$1,541,26634.2%$712,014
NORTHVALE BOROBERGEN500$687,331$250,500$233,87034.0%$109,796
MILLTOWN BOROMIDDLESEX999$3,408,967$1,242,423$1,145,24633.6%$559,238
MONROE TWPMIDDLESEX6,252$8,458,051$3,031,037$2,832,17833.5%$1,396,848
SADDLE RIVERBERGEN386$646,633$231,007$214,88133.2%$108,436
HARDINGMORRIS404$719,234$257,045$238,83433.2%$120,783
CHERRY HILLCAMDEN10,762$39,946,051$14,244,409$13,110,00532.8%$6,863,021
NEW MILFORD BOROBERGEN1,972$5,553,143$1,945,950$1,796,36832.3%$980,204
HAWTHORNE BOROPASSAIC2,325$6,657,404$2,249,645$2,077,17231.2%$1,251,530
EMERSON BOROBERGEN1,141$1,650,622$543,424$507,97430.8%$317,337
ROCKAWAY BOROMORRIS547$1,695,225$609,762$518,29530.6%$329,318
FAIR LAWN BERGEN4,717$12,320,401$3,696,921$3,423,37827.8%$2,736,823
PASSAIC VALLEY REGIONALPASSAIC1,340$3,778,458$1,095,136$1,013,46726.8%$875,762
SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOODESSEX7,168$17,322,480$4,637,840$4,307,56724.9%$4,353,673
NORTH ARLINGTON BOROBERGEN1,829$7,425,982$2,138,303$1,814,43224.4%$1,898,559
ROCKLEIGHBERGEN39$65,975$16,468$15,43923.4%$17,549
WALDWICK BOROBERGEN1,571$3,817,728$937,905$872,47122.9%$1,036,393
RIVER DELL REGIONALBERGEN1,603$3,071,616$732,768$685,70322.3%$850,105
ROBBINSVILLE TWPMERCER3,013$11,389,305$2,924,471$2,491,75621.9%$3,202,897
WOODLAND PARKPASSAIC1,090$3,932,665$1,000,936$854,29721.7%$1,112,036
WEST ORANGE ESSEX6,790$32,795,554$7,645,580$7,047,68321.5%$9,350,094
CLINTON TOWNHUNTERDON315$1,094,767$195,668$221,46920.2%$325,915
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS BERGEN1,907$7,316,053$1,368,079$1,168,98316.0%$2,489,044
RIVER EDGEBERGEN1,140$3,798,478$564,761$486,93812.8%$1,412,301
Total$70,360,941

Bad Aid Proposals Surface

I hope that the above proposal circulates as alternatives to some bad aid proposals that have surfaced in the last few weeks by legislators who want to help their constituents' underaided districts but ignore underaided districts elsewhere, even severely underaided ones.

The first bad proposal is from Mila Jasey/John McKeon (Ds, Essex & Morris) proposal that would give $122 million to school districts whose Equalized taxes are 35% above the state's average.

The problem here is that virtually no underaided districts that are K-8 or 9-12 would qualify for this aid.  These means that NJ's most exceptionally underaided districts, such as Freehold Boro, Fairview, and East Newark wouldn't get a cent. Numerous severely underaided K-12s would be excluded too, such as Clifton, Lakewood, Bloomfield, and Bayonne.  

Another bad proposal is from Rob Clifton and Ron Dancer (Rs, Burlington, Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean), who represent Chesterfield, NJ's most underaided district in percentage terms.

Chesterfield's underaiding is partly due to huge population growth, so the proposal would give $30 million to districts whose populations have grown more than 25% since 2008.  

The problem is that so many underaided districts haven't had serious population growth.  They may be underaided because they've always been underaided or they've lost property wealth.  So, the Dancer/Clifton bill also excludes numerous severely underaided and underfunded districts, such as Manchester Regional, Freehold Boro, Fairview etc.

Any state aid reform has to be morally viable to be politically viable.  If a state aid reform doesn't have a broad benefit, and truly does benefit the neediest districts I see it going nowhere, especially if the proposal is paid for by redistribution.  If the beneficiaries aren't the neediest in New Jersey, the moral claims that might induce aid hoarders to give up some aid will not work.

But to help New Jersey's neediest districts isn't impossible even in New Jersey's terrible budget situation.  A modest combination of new revenue and redistribution would be enough to create opportunity for kids and districts who have up until now been denied it.










No comments:

Post a Comment