TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono, sponsor of S-4000, the bill that would implement the Governor’s proposed new funding formula, today praised the bipartisan compromise that lead to the bill’s passage through the Senate by a vote of 21-8.
“Today, members of both parties came together on a bipartisan basis to adopt a school funding formula that is fair to every New Jersey student and looks to make sure that every child in our State receives a quality education, regardless of where they live,” said Senator Buono.
“This is a good example of what we can do to help children by working together in a bipartisan manner,” said Senator Buono. “We took a good formula and made it better.”
Senator Buono said Republicans and Democrats huddled together in the Senate Minority Conference room to resolve the impasse by developing language for the fiscal year 2009 Budget which will provide an additional $20 million in extraordinary special education aid on top of the aid already provided by the funding formula.
“But the fight to make sure that every single New Jersey child thrives in school does not end with a funding formula. Now, more than ever, the Legislature must work with the Governor and with local school districts to change our public school system to increase efficiency, control costs and ensure that our children have access to the resources they need to graduate prepared to succeed in the 21st Century economy.”
