TRENTON, N.J. – Assembly Budget Committee member Al Barlas criticized Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget address delivered before a joint session of the Legislature Tuesday, for failing to address the school funding formula and educational challenges.
“During the governor’s budget address we did not hear a word about learning loss and the impact it has had on communities. We heard nothing about investments in the technology gap that exists between districts,” Barlas (R-Essex) said. “The legislature recently conducted a hearing on these very issues where we heard from educators, school officials and parents about the need for more investment in these areas.”
The governor delivered his proposed record-breaking $55.9 billion budget with staged enthusiasm and left-leaning platitudes. Governor Murphy touted expanding taxpayer-funded programs for public pre-K through 12 schools and pumping $900 million more into education. At the same time, he’s cutting 140 school districts already facing devastating state aid cuts under S2, a school funding formula that Democrats have failed to reform despite outcry from parents and school administrators.
“When you fail to address learning loss and cut funding to 140 districts and then brag about your school funding plan, it reminds me of the Sesame Street song, ‘One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong,’” Barlas concluded.