​

​

1

Jackson School District Proposed Budget

May 14, 2024

UPDATE: Status of Current Year Budget 2023-2024

Advance State Aid Requests (aka “Loan”)

• At the May 7 BOE meeting, we announced the district is being permitted to utilize $4.4 million in unspent funds and interest accrued from 2002 and 2005 referendum projects to support the current budget.
• Current Status: The state monitor has recommended the Jackson School District receive advance state aid in the amount of $7.3 million to support the current (2023-2024) budget.
• The Commissioner of Education will make a final determination on the monitor’s recommendation.
• We are continuing to answer all questions from the NJ DOE.

2

2024-2025 Budget Update

At the May 7 Board of Education meeting we provided the following budget update:

​

• The budget as developed still has a $26 million deficit, even after making $4.2 million in cuts
• We have made all the fiscally responsible reductions we can
• We CANNOT CUT ANY FURTHER without sacrificing a safe, thorough and efficient education for our students
• Our students deserve the same opportunities as their peers and it is our responsibility to provide those opportunities.
• The DOE, through the county office and fiscal monitor, will need to identify how to close our remaining budget gap unless another solution emerges.
• We will continue to work with the NJ DOE to answer all questions and to demonstrate our fiscal responsibility and commitment to students.

​

3

• Elem Class Sizes = 30
• MS & HS Class Sizes = 35-40
• Closing Schools (results in NO PRESCHOOL)
• NO Athletics
• NO Clubs, Band, Theater, AFJROTC
• Significant reduction of security officers
• NO Courtesy Busing
• NO Academic Supports (beyond the classroom)
• Limited or NO AP Courses
• NO Academies
• NO late buses
• NO facility improvements
• Reduced Electives

To be clear:

​

The Jackson School District is not recommending

a budget that cuts these items.

​

HOWEVER,

if our aid is not restored and if we do not receive state assistance, the state could make cuts to close the $26 million budget gap.

The items listed below are defined by NJ as NOT being part of a “Thorough and Efficient” Education.

What could $26 million in cuts look like?

RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION - SIGNED BY GOV. MURPHY

A-4161 and S-3081 and A-4059 and S-3002:

• Allows certain districts losing state school aid additional time to submit budgets
• Restores certain portions of state school aid reductions and permits certain districts to exceed the tax levy growth limitation (currently 2%).
• This would restore 45% of the amount that was cut this year.
• For Jackson, this means our $4.4 million aid cut would become $2.4 million aid cut
• Districts may submit budgets increase the tax levy by no more than difference between aid lost from 2020-2024 or max of 9.9% (instead of the former 2% tax levy cap)
• For Jackson, this means the tax levy could increase by $10 million (instead of $2.7 million under 2% cap)

​

5

NOTE: THIS WOULD STILL LEAVE OUR BUDGET

WITH AN ALMOST $17 MILLION DEFICIT

Next Steps

• In light of this new legislation, we anticipate receiving guidance from the NJ DOE about budget timelines and procedures.
• We will continue to work with the state to seek solutions.
• We will update the community about the next public meeting at which a budget vote can take place.

6

Welcome to the

Jackson Board of Education Meeting

Would You Like to Be Heard During the Public Forum?

When the public forum is announced,

please come to the microphone and

write your name down before speaking.