$75M in Public School Funding Means Tax Relief, Murphy Says

By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief On Nov 19, 2021

Gov. Phil Murphy today announced that the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) are releasing $75 million to help public schools across the state defer the cost of capital maintenance and emergent infrastructure projects. Approximately $50 million will go directly to the 31 special needs SDA district schools, with the additional $25 million going to regular operating school districts.

Murphy, who made the announcement this morning at Christopher Columbus School No. 8 in Garfield, said everyone gathered at the event – educators, legislators, labor leaders and members of his own administration – “share a common goal: an unwavering commitment to kids, families and educational communities. We share a commitment to not only maintain our state’s place as the top-ranked system of education in the country, but also ensure that every child has a place under that banner. … That includes safe and modern schools.”

Murphy said every single dollar in school investment is a dollar of property tax relief for New Jerseyans. He added that his administration has increased overall investment in education by $3 billion more, over the past four years, than the last four years of the Christie administration.

“Every one of these $3 billion is one dollar that property taxpayers can keep in their pockets. … Through these investments, we are [developing] communities for new families to [establish] roots and so that long-term residents don’t have to pull up their roots,” Murphy said.

Acting Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, commented, “This investment will continue to provide students across New Jersey with access to facilities commensurate with the high quality education they deserve. The emergent and capital facilities maintenance of our schools ensures that the infrastructure of our education system mirrors that of the educational quality transpiring within those facilities.”

Manuel Da Silva, CEO of the SDA, said school construction projects, big and small, remain an economic driver for the state’s construction industry and have the potential to benefit small businesses.

Meanwhile state Senator Nellie Pou (D-35) commented, “We are recommitting new funding to build and maintain sound, stable and state-of-the-art facilities for our students who will need every single extra advantage they can get to succeed in the 21st century world.”

A complete list of all districts and their allocations is available online.

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