U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ORDERS NEW JERSEY TO RESTORE MILLIONS IN STATE AID CUTS TO COMPLY WITH AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

In response to complaints by Education Law Center and Jersey City Together, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) has found that state aid cuts in the FY22 New Jersey State Budget violate the Maintenance of Equity (MOEq) provision in the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund (ARP ESSER). In a November 24 letter to Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan, the USED ordered New Jersey to immediately restore the cuts.

“This directive from the federal government should come as no surprise,” said Danielle Farrie, ELC Research Director. “It was clear that the aid cuts in the FY22 Budget put New Jersey out of compliance with the ARP ESSER, which specifically prohibits states from reducing state aid to high poverty school districts.”

The ARP ESSER entitles New Jersey to $2.5 billion in federal emergency relief funds, but that funding is dependent on compliance with the MOEq requirement. New Jersey’s FY22 Budget included cuts in state aid to districts in both the “high need” and “highest poverty” categories as defined by the ARP ESSER. The MOEq specifically prohibits states accepting ARP ESSER federal funds from disproportionately cutting state aid in high need school districts between FY21 and FY22 and from reducing aid below FY19 levels in the highest poverty districts.

The state aid cuts were dictated by Senate Bill 2 (S2), a change to New Jersey’s school funding formula enacted in 2018, phasing-out “adjustment aid,” a category of state transition aid. Despite a warning from ELC that the S2 cuts would violate the MOEq in certain districts, the FY22 Budget proposed by Governor Phil Murphy and passed by the Legislature included the aid cuts. The budget also authorized a transfer of set-aside funds in the event New Jersey was found to be out of compliance with the MOEq.

“The USED has vindicated the advocacy of Jersey City Together and ELC to enforce Maintenance of Equity” said Brigid D’Souza and Dr. Jyl Josephson, parent leaders with Jersey City Together, a coalition of more than 30 religious congregations, nonprofits and parent groups affiliated with New Jersey Together. “The restoration of millions in state aid will be crucial for high poverty districts across the state, including Jersey City, to invest over the next two years in their students and recover from the pandemic.”

“Now that the USED has found New Jersey violated the MOEq,” said David Sciarra, ELC Executive Director, “we expect Governor Murphy and the Legislature to immediately rescind the cuts and provide the funding owed to more than 80 districts.”

Related Story:

NEW JERSEY MUST SCRAP STATE FUNDING CUTS IN HIGH NEED DISTRICTS

Press Contact:

Sharon Krengel
Policy and Outreach Director
skrengel@edlawcenter.org
973-624-1815, x 24

Press Contact:
Sharon Krengel
Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships and Communications
skrengel@edlawcenter.org
973-624-1815, x240