Schools
Montville School District Getting Nearly $670K in State Aid
Christie: 'Once and for all, we must reward excellence and there must be consequences for failure.'
The Montville Township School District is slated to receive nearly $670,000 in state aid for the 2011-12 school year, more than $638,000 more than it received in the 2010-11 year, according to figures released from the state Department of Education on Wednesday.
Christie promised in his budget address Tuesday every district in the state would see an aid increase—part of a $250 million boost to education aid overall. In Morris County alone, schools would see an overall increase of more than $13 million.
Last year, the governor sharply reduced aid to schools, including several in Morris County. Some saw their state aid eliminated entirely. At the time, many districts had been making plans for their budgets based on suggestions of more modest cuts by the state Department of Education.
"I agonized over making cuts to education aid last year," the governor said in his budget address. "They were the very last cuts I approved. It was not a decision I took lightly. It was not something I wanted to do. However, in a year where shared sacrifice was required from everyone, it was a necessary choice."
But he said hard decisions made over the last year allowed for some increase this year. Many districts will still receive less than they did prior to 2010-11, however.
In proposals tied to his budget, the governor is also pushing for reform to tenure, and for public employees to take on much of the cost associated with their benefits. He's also pushing for associated pension reforms.
"The need for reform, of course, is more urgent than ever. ... We need to reward excellent teachers, put an end to automatic tenure, and give parents trapped in failing schools a choice for a better future for their children. Once and for all, we must reward excellence and there must be consequences for failure. This is the way it is all across America—we must finally bring it to all of New Jersey’s classrooms," Christie said.
Montville is slated to receive $669,938 in aid.
The Board of Education is currently in the middle of its public budget discussions, with the next talk slated for March 1.
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The proposed state aid for Morris County schools is as follows:
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