Brief: State Increases Aid for SPF Schools

New Jersey's public schools, including the , will receive an additional influx of cash, Gov. Chris Christie announced Tuesday.

“This year, New Jersey increased state aid to school districts by $850 million over last year, restoring every dollar of the cuts we were forced to make last year and increasing aid by an additional $30 million,” Christie said in a press release. “Now is the time to complement the dollars spent with real education reform to bring a focus on student learning, accountability and results.”

Scotch Plains-Fanwood's school system was previously slated to receive $770,000 more than in 2010-2011, an increase that has doubled with the release of the new aid figures. The district now expects to receive nearly $2.2 million in total state aid for 2011-2012 – about $1.5 million more than the total amount of aid provided for 2010-2011, but still far less than the aid the district received for 2009-2010. All of the funds are earmarked for special education, according to the state Department of Education.

"Being able to provide additional education funding to districts this year further affirms this administration’s commitment to ensuring each and every child in New Jersey receives a quality education," Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said in the press release. "It is now time to focus on aggressive education reform, concentrating on improving standards, assessments, and curriculum; strengthening the use of performance and accountability data; improving educator effectiveness; and investing in innovative models of educational delivery."