Schools

Lawrence Schools to Receive $46K More in State Aid

Gov. Christie's proposed FY 2014 budget includes more than $1 million of additional state aid to school districts in Mercer County.

 

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday announced that school districts in Mercer county will receive an additional $1,314,801 in school funding for fiscal year 2014.

Lawrence Township Public Schools will receive an additional $46,242 in fiscal year 2014, for a total of $3,383,494. 

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“The $1,314,801 increase to Mercer County districts is part of a bold budget that continues to prioritize education and funds schools at the highest levels in New Jersey’s history,” Christie said. “However, even as we continue to fund education at the highest levels in state history, we must remain willing to reflect on how we are spending our money and work towards solutions that make every dollar we invest count.”

The state aid figures for school districts released on Thursday represent the largest appropriation of K-12 education dollars in the state’s history. The governor’s proposed budget includes nearly $9 billion in state aid, an increase of $97.3 million over FY 2013.

Find out what's happening in Lawrencevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is the third consecutive year of education funding increases. On average, districts across the state will receive an increase of $75 per pupil, according to the governor's office. All districts will receive an increase in K-12 formula aid or maintain flat funding from the previous school year.

Christie’s proposed budget also includes several new aid categories:

  • The Education Innovation Fund: $5 million to incent innovation and reward success. 
  • Under-Adequacy Aid: A new category of aid to benefit districts that are currently 10 percent or more below their adequacy budget. Approximately $16.8 milion will be distributed to 131 districts across the state. Awards are capped at $500,000 for each eligible district.
  • Supplemental Enrollment Growth Aid: $4.141 million aid to districts that experienced enrollment growth greater than 13 percent from October 2008 to October 2011. 
  • New Geographic Cost Adjustment: An index applied to each district’s adequacy budget in order to account for cost differences across the state. 
  • Funding For Opportunity Scholarship Grants: $2 million for scholarship grants to allow children in chronically failing schools to attend alternate educational placements.
  • School Choice Aid: For districts have been accepted into the Inter-district Choice Program. For the 2013-14 school year, 105 school districts will participate in the program, up from 70 during the 2012-13 school year. In total, $49 million is proposed in Fiscal Year 2014, an increase of $16 million from Fiscal Year 2013.

Below is a list of funding to school districts in Mercer County:

  

 

FY13 Total                       K-12 State Aid

Proj. FY14 Total               K-12 State Aid

Aid Diff (FY14-FY13)

County

District Name

MERCER

EAST WINDSOR REGIONAL

18,398,954

18,398,955

1

MERCER

EWING TWP

9,524,254

9,524,254

0

MERCER

HAMILTON TWP

73,170,915

73,364,226

193,311

MERCER

HOPEWELL VALLEY REGIONAL

2,490,613

2,490,613

0

MERCER

LAWRENCE TWP

3,337,252

3,383,494

46,242

MERCER

MERCER COUNTY VOCATIONAL

2,387,159

2,401,878

14,719

MERCER

PRINCETON REGIONAL

3,337,049

3,361,538

24,489

MERCER

TRENTON CITY

226,927,752

227,809,033

881,281

MERCER

ROBBINSVILLE TWP

2,222,541

2,377,299

154,758

MERCER

W WINDSOR-PLAINSBORO REG

7,277,104

7,277,104

0

TOTAL

349,073,593

350,388,394

1,314,801


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