New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has proposed to flatten the state’s funding formula by equalizing the amount of money it distributes to poor and wealthy students, according to local news media.
The revision would serve as a major blow to the state’s urban districts, which have a high proportion of disadvantaged students and which have been battling lawmakers over funding for more than four decades.
Newark, for example, would lose as much as $14 million, or 69 percent of its state funding, says an analysis released by the Republican governor’s office. Meanwhile, suburban districts would stand to receive millions more in funding. For example, the North Caldwell Borough school system would receive $6 million more in funds, a 1,714 percent increase.