BRICK – A last minute increase in state aid will restore the Brick Township School District to the aid levels before a cut of approximately $2.1 million.
The district was expected to receive $36,249,310. However, a budget crafted by state lawmakers cut about $2.1 million in state aid. Brick was among several districts that were determined to be “overfunded” because of shrinking enrollment.
After pushing for that aid to be restored, much of it was. However, the district was still down by $720,507.
The district announced that this figure will also be restored, and that the state aid was made the same as it was expected to be months ago.
Acting superintendent Dennis Filippone praised the work of business administrator James Edwards, and interim director Thomas Gialanella for their work in crafting arguments showing the negative effects those cuts would have.
“Mr. Edwards and his staff put many hours into the arduous task of producing the numerous pages of information the NJDOE requested,” Filippone said in a press release. “Mr. Edwards and Mr. Gialanella worked with Trenton to provide the professionals with documentation demonstrating that Brick is a low spending district that would be hurt by these cuts.”
Senators James Holzapfel and Greg McGuckin and Assemblyman David Wolfe (all R-10th), and 10th District staff member Glen Feldman, were praised for going to bat for the district.
The school aid budgets followed school enrollment figures, and the declining aid was done to match declining enrollment, an official stated when the changes were made months ago.
Brick had 10,283 students in 2008-2009. They were down to 8,753 in 2016-2017. This is a reduction of 14.9 percent.
Neighboring Toms River had been told they were losing $3.3 million in state aid, but that figure was restored as well.
