NJEA’s officers, President Sean Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson released this statement following Gov. Phil Murphy’s eighth and final budget address:
“In a challenging economic environment, Gov. Murphy’s final budget prioritizes the needs of New Jersey’s children and families, keeps the state’s pension promise to public employees and positions the state to navigate the uncertainties ahead.
“We especially appreciate Gov. Murphy’s steadfast commitment to funding New Jersey’s public schools. More than ever, our state’s budget must be a reflection of our values and focus on our residents’ greatest needs.
“In New Jersey, 1.4 million students and their families rely on our public schools. Just as critically, New Jersey’s business community needs public education in New Jersey to remain at the top so that New Jersey remains an attractive place to live, work and do business. We need to protect students from the specter of reckless cuts to federal education funding, and that starts with the state meeting its full obligation, as this budget does.
“Even with full state funding of the formula, we know that some communities struggle to provide the resources their children need. We urge the Murphy administration, legislators and community leaders to come together this budget season to ensure all New Jersey students in all New Jersey communities have the resources they need to thrive.
“We also commend Gov. Murphy for once again showing fiscally responsible leadership by fully funding New Jersey’s pension systems. For too long those systems were neglected, costing New Jersey taxpayers billions and destabilizing the systems themselves. Gov. Murphy’s consistent legacy of responsible pension funding has lowered future pension costs and restored faith among both public employees and the financial markets that New Jersey will live up to its responsibilities. It’s a remarkable feat that shows what is possible when a governor chooses long-term solutions over short-term gimmicks.
“We look forward to more conversations in the coming weeks with the governor and legislators about ways to further strengthen our pension systems so that they can attract and retain the educators our schools so desperately need. We should build on our momentum to secure even better results for everyone in New Jersey.
“Recognizing the needs of New Jersey families and adult students, we will continue to advocate for the Legislature to restore the additional county college funding included in the current year’s budget. While that $20 million is a small amount in a $55.2 billion budget, it’s a lifeline to struggling families who rely on affordable county colleges to continue their education after high school.”