The State Supreme Court has ruled that the governor's new school funding formula meets constitutional requirements and it can succeed the decades-old Abbott decision. We wrote a brief explanation of the case in April.
The court's full ruling, which was unanimous, is available here. From the AP,
There are two catches in the opinion by Justice Jaynee LaVecchia: The court ruled New Jersey must continue to make some extra money available to the 31 urban districts for at least three more years, and the system must be reviewed for fairness in three years.
The new funding formula acknowledges that poor children live across the state, and not just in the 31 former Abbott districts. In fact, about 49% of poor children live outside Abbott jurisdictions, which have seen enrollment shrink in recent years. The new model allows per-pupil funding, which is higher for low-income or special needs children, to follow a child no matter their district of residence.
While CIANJ believes the formula will improve education in the state, it should be seen as a first step and not a capstone. The next steps must allow dollars to follow children into school choice programs, such as public school choice, charter schools, and private schools.
More reaction to follow.
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