TRENTON, N.J. — Assemblywoman Aura Dunn has introduced legislation aimed at stabilizing school funding in municipalities within the Highlands region, arguing that development restrictions have contributed to persistent state aid shortfalls.
Dunn, R-Morris, said her “Clean Water Promise Package” would create a new category of state school aid called Highlands Region Support Aid. The proposed funding would compensate districts for property tax revenue losses tied to reduced property values resulting from development limits under the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act.
“When school funding gets cut, kids lose, and Highlands towns are paying the price,” Dunn said. “These districts get short-changed when it comes to school funding. They’re doing more for the entire state and being given less in return. It’s not fair, and it has to change.”
The 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act restricts development in 88 municipalities across seven counties to safeguard water resources that supply drinking water statewide. Dunn said the interaction between those restrictions and the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 — later amended — has strained local school budgets.
Districts in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Sussex, Warren, Somerset and Hunterdon counties have faced funding reductions in recent years, according to Dunn’s office.
In Jefferson Township, officials have cited a cumulative $45 million state aid deficit. The district is facing a $4.8 million budget shortfall this year, and Dunn is seeking a supplemental appropriation through separate legislation to address the gap.
“It has baffled so many of my colleagues in the Legislature and myself that districts like Jefferson are considered over-funded, yet must resort to closing and selling off school buildings, and cut programs, extracurriculars and staff to balance budgets year after year,” Dunn said. “Further cuts simply cannot be made without jeopardizing our children’s futures.”
Dunn is also urging lawmakers to adopt a resolution calling for revisions to the 2008 school funding formula to prevent significant aid reductions, particularly in Highlands communities and other areas with development restrictions.
“The Highlands’ unique situation demands special action from the state to ensure we protect our natural resources and fulfill our obligations to all New Jersey students,” Dunn said.
