By Melissa Tomlinson, president, Atlantic County Council of Education Associations
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has decided to tackle one of the toughest and most vital topics for our schools and our communities, the school funding formula. The current funding formula under which all our public schools operate has been in place since 2009 and has historically been rated as one of the top funding formulas in the nation—and one of the most progressive. But time, temporary amendments and shifting cost burdens have since rendered our formula something that no longer works for our state.
The NJDOE is forecasting that the process to rewrite the funding formula will take around 18 months to complete, with the hope that it will be in effect for the 2027-28 school year. The lengthy timeframe is due to the process that the NJDOE has put forward to achieve this goal with fidelity. To create room for all stakeholders willing to provide feedback about the impacts that their schools are experiencing due to the current formula, the NJDOE has scheduled a series of public forums around the state.
Testifying at one of these open forums is an excellent way for anyone to be able to share their personal story, speak candidly about what a lack of resources looks like in their school, share how a reduction of staff has affected their students or explain the struggle that a community might have securing local revenue sources to supplement the state portion of school funding.
On October 14, one of these forums was held in Atlantic County. The NJDOE started the event with a short presentation that centered the goal to build a modern, stable, student-centered school funding system that helps ensure every student receives a world class education, regardless of ZIP code. With that goal in mind, some guiding questions were put forward. What do New Jersey students need to thrive, what system will deliver it and how should the state fund that system responsibly and fairly? It seems like it is a broad-reaching goal. These forums are vital to help narrow the focus of the work to modernize the formula by developing an understanding of what needs currently exist that are not being met by the current funding formula.
The participants in this forum ranged from educators, school superintendents, school board members and students. As the evening went on, it was impactful to hear everyone’s stories and to realize that what you are experiencing in your district is not an isolated story. Everyone is experiencing similar issues obtaining all the resources that students deserve. Having a room full of community voices with a shared message is what is needed to make sure our priorities are carried forward and taken into account throughout the process of modernizing the new formula.
I urge everyone to attend these sessions, even if you do not want to testify. It is important to know what conversations are occurring around decisions that will have a direct impact on your daily life.
Melissa Tomlinson (she/her) is a special education teacher in South Jersey. She serves as the president of the Atlantic County Council of Education Associations and is a previous recipient of NJEA’s 2024 Equity Champion Award.