I wanted to share a picture of the state aid reductions to Jersey City Public Schools. State Aid can be confusing because there are various forms of state aid, including: Adjustment aid – this was a one-time bucket of aid that was tied to the initial enactment of SFRA in 2008 Equalization aid — this is aid that is pegged to the tax base Other types of “categorical” aid including Security aid, Transportation aid, and Special Education aid When we talk about the “state aid reductions to Jersey City based on the S2 law,” we are referring to the first ...
Jersey City lost another $68 million in state aid on March 10th, 2022. This cut was expected, part of the phased “S2” cuts that have been reducing Jersey City’s state aid by $100+ million just in the last three years alone. A question I continue to get is: why is state aid being cut, anyway? And the answer is: Jersey City has the largest tax base in the entire state, but the 49th lowest school tax rate. Each year, the NJ Department of Community Affairs publishes the prior year tax rates and I’ve provided the ‘equalized’ school tax rates below ...
The Jersey City Public Schools have received over $160 million in federal COVID-19 aid since 2020 and I was curious how the funds have been used, the status of what remains, and what insights we can glean from this public data particularly as we approach the annual budget process. I have published a few visualizations below unpack the data and invite others to explore too. 1-The school district received $161 million over three successive tranches of federal aid: $10.7 million from CARES Act – expired in June 2021 $48.3 million from ESSER II – expires in September 2023 $101.6 million ...
It has been nearly four years since NJ passed the “S2” law, leading to state aid cuts to Jersey City. In this post I want to assess the fiscal landscape of the public schools using nine years of user friendly budget data, with particular focus on: where the district is with state aid reductions (and what still lies ahead with respect to aid cuts), where the district is with local income increases, with a focus on school tax and the payroll tax, and a dive into expense, i.e. what are we collectively investing in? I have several interactive visualizations woven ...
Jersey City is experiencing a staffing shortage in its public schools. While this is part of a nationwide trend, local attention and solutions are needed particularly as we experience our first fully funded budget in over a decade. In this post, I am sharing data I compiled in later October from JCPS “Public Board Docs.” I compiled this data in response to a call to action from the Infinity Institute PTA, where one of my kids attends school. That PTA mobilized parents to speak at the October caucus meeting to bring awareness to this issue and also to press for more communication ...
A "levy" is the amount raised in property tax to fund a government budget. Typically, a levy is one of multiple sources of revenue that fund total expense. In 2021, Jersey City is poised to both fully fund its schools and also enter a new paradigm with respect to property tax. Let's review what's happening based on four key insights; we'll use the graph below as a pictorial guide through the fiscal nuance. The chart below shows year-on-year change to Jersey City's state education aid (the gray line), the school levy (the dark red line) and the city levy (the ...
Update, Feb 5, 2021: I’m re-upping this post from 2020 to share with anyone who’s interested in the upcoming schools budgeting process in 2021. The annual public schools budgeting process is fairly regimented due in part to milestone dates that live in state law. A timeline of key dates from last year’s budgeting process is provided for context but the big picture looks something like this: February: The BOE hosts public meeting on budget to solicit public input. You can call in and weigh in on: what needs to be funded in your school? There are typically multiple such meetings ...
This is post included in both my abatement series and a series about the User Friendly Budget in NJ. We need better disclosures in NJ to understand the impact of tax abatements on the local fiscal landscape, particularly as it relates to public schools. The user friendly budget – mandated by the state starting in 2015 – was a welcome and needed first step to increase transparency, but more is needed and local governments can shore up the gap if they choose to. We can explore this using Jersey City’s abatement data. User Friendly Budget Abatement Data Currently, the detailed ...
I am part of the education team with Jersey City Together and in May 2020 we created a school tax expense calculator to help Jersey City residents understand the personal investment for a $50 million increase to the school levy. Our aim was to the put the power of understand property taxes into taxpayers’ hands. This tool allows you to input the assessed value of your home and then view the computed, personalized estimate for your change in monthly and annual school tax. In short: how much are YOU contributing towards a $52.7 million investment? Check it out below! The ...
It's Saturday May 9th and we are within a week of the 2020/21 schools budget being passed for next year. Parents are on the 98th yard line of a fight to push Superintendent Walker's full budget across the goal line. This post is aimed to bring parents and school advocates up to speed, give a quick accounting of advocacy to date, and share some final tools for the next few critical days. What's at Stake - $10+ million As explained below, the next days will determine if we keep - or lose - $10 million or more for our schools ...
For the last 10 years, Jersey City has been DIVESTING in its public schools. All the while, our city has grown. Here is what got cut JUST LAST YEAR (2019/20 schools budget): 160 teachers - CUT 25 teachers’ aides & assistants - CUT 20 janitorial, security, and food service staff - CUT 15 administrators & supervisors - CUT All reading recovery teachers - CUT 22 out of 25 literacy coaches - CUT 19 out of 21 math coaches - CUT Crisis intervention ratios increased from 1:200 to 1:400 students Counseling ratios increased from 1:250 to 1:350 students Class size ratios, ...
I normally use this blog to share data and analysis about taxes and public funding, but this is a more personal post. We are nearly a month into isolating at home and I wanted to share some reflections on education in this current moment. I have 2 kids in Jersey City Public Schools and I teach undergraduate courses full-time at Saint Peter’s University, so I’m seeing this play out from two perspectives. Two themes of concern are jumping out at me at in this current moment: Technology and Mental Health. Technology. There is a lot of focus on how we are ...
On Wednesday March 18th, Superintendent Walker proposed a budget that significantly increases local investment in our public schools. The budget includes a $64 million school levy increase, which represents a 47% increase over last year’s levy. Mayor Fulop “blasted” the increase, citing the harm to taxpayers, stating that “They’re going to destroy the taxpayers. They’re going to destroy residents, both renters and homeowners.” I’ve received the same question from several people: does the mayor’s rhetoric have merit? What does this 47% increase really mean? Also: what role can the city levy play in helping mitigate a school levy increase? Let’s ...
As we enter the budget season for Jersey City Public Schools, I wanted to share some upcoming process info – key dates & timeframes in case it’s helpful for parents and advocates. It’s never too late to get involved. BOE Budget Process – Working Timeline This timeline was updated after the budget process concluded. See links to news articles and other resources for more details. 2020/21 Budget 2020 February 19, 2020 Wednesday, February 19th, 2020 (Budget Listening Session) The BOE hosted a listening session for the public to provide input on the budget before the process commences. Read about the ...
I've heard "can't we go after the abatement money to fund our schools? Rather than increase the school tax levy?" The answer is: no, at least not directly. I wrote about the intersection of abatements & school funding back in 2015; this current moment has been foreseeable for years, unfortunately our elected are only now feeling the pressure of the moment. In this pressure-filled moment, it's critical to anchor around facts. Here's a quick breakdown of the logic: The city's 2 biggest mechanisms of funding are (a) the city tax levy and (b) PILOT revenue from abatements. 1) City tax ...
