Lawmakers and school officials brainstormed policy ideas to prevent school budget deficits Thursday at the Statehouse in Trenton, but witnesses warned more state aid is key. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)
A growing spate of budget deficits at school districts around New Jersey drove Assembly lawmakers to convene a public hearing Thursday at the Statehouse, where advocates blamed all sorts of culprits but united on one big bogeyman: inadequate state funding.
School districts including Hackensack, Montclair, Perth Amboy, East Orange, Jefferson Township, Lakewood, and Toms River have grappled in the past year or so with deficits ranging from $5 million to $100 million. Those budget shortfalls have driven administrators to lay off teachers and school nurses, ax programs, sell property, hike taxes, and make other controversial cuts…