Bordentown Regional School District to Receive Supplements Funds

BORDENTOWN, NJ — The Bordentown Regional School District will receive additional state funding under a bill recently signed by Governor Murphy to offset the cuts caused by calculations under the School Funding Reform Act.

Under the new law, Bordentown Regional School District (BRSD) will receive $726,718 to help ease the impact of $1.6 million in state aid cuts announced in March.

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The legislation establishes a Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program in the Department of Education to provide grants equal to 45 percent of a school district's State school aid reduction for the 2024-2025 school year. The bill appropriates $44.7 million to support the program in districts around the state.

“I am very grateful for the advocacy that the Bordentown Regional School District community communicated to Burlington County elected officials, and the wider state legislature, to support restorative funding to the 140 districts that lost state aid for the 2024-2025 school year," BRSD Superintendent Dr. Trudy Atkins told TAPinto Bordentown. "I am also thankful to Senator Singleton and our local officials for supporting the BRSD during the 2024-2025 budgeting process."

"The $726,718 provided to the BRSD will be utilized to reinstate a one nurse to one school ratio of nursing staff, a kindergarten class at Peter Muschal Elementary School, a Grade 4 class at MacFarland Intermediate School, Special Education Out of District costs and the programming that so many families and students supported, Elementary Instrumental Music.”

Under the State Funding Reform Act, BRSD is slated to receive $8,213,153 for the 2024-2025 school year — a decrease of $1,614,929 in aid from the previous school year. This equals a cut of 16.4 percent. Previously, the district's funding was reduced by $648,000 for the current 2023-2024 school year.

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Governor Murphy said that his Administration strives "to ensure every child in New Jersey receives the top-notch education that has become synonymous with our state's public education system."

"Through seven budget cycles, we have never wavered on our commitment to our school communities – and that rings true today," said Murphy. "With this legislation, we are giving local school districts critical support during trying times, as difficult financial realities muddy the already complex process of adopting a balanced budget."

In addition to providing supplementary state aid, the legislation allows certain districts experiencing reductions in state aid to request increases in their adjusted property tax levies above the two percent cap established under current law.

"The combination of additional state aid and school district tax levy growth cap flexibility achieved by this legislation strikes a key balance: easing the transition to full funding amounts while further empowering school districts to sustain education and support programs beyond S2's phase-in schedule," said Kevin Dehmer, Acting Commissioner of Education. "For our part, the Department is committed to working with districts on finalizing their budget plans for next school year; for their part, this legislation provides districts additional revenue sources to further help transition to sustainable spending plans that meet the needs of all students."

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