Bill Text: NJ SCR108 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expresses intent of Legislature that "School Funding Reform Act of 2008" be revised to stabilize State aid reductions.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-03-05 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [SCR108 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-SCR108-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Expresses intent of Legislature that "School Funding Reform Act of 2008" be revised to stabilize State aid reductions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution expressing the intent of the Legislature that the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008," P.L.2007, c.260, be revised.
Whereas, In May of 2009, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008," (SFRA) was constitutional and could be applied to the poorer urban districts, now known as "SDA districts." The court's finding was premised on the expectation that the State would continue to provide school funding aid at the level required by the SFRA's formula. However, the SFRA was fully funded only in the 2008-2009 school year and for the next eight years school aid was distributed through language in the annual appropriations act rather than through the court-approved formula; and
Whereas, In July of 2018, the Legislature modified the SFRA through the enactment of P.L.2018, c.67, commonly referred to as S2, and one of its provisions eliminated the State aid category of adjustment aid for school districts. Adjustment aid was a State aid category enacted under SFRA that was intended to hold districts harmless against a precipitous loss in State aid; and
Whereas, The elimination of adjustment aid and the mechanism established under S2 for the redistribution of State aid among school districts resulted in the loss of significant amounts of State aid for many school districts, including districts in the Highlands Region; and
Whereas, The "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" is the landmark environmental legislation enacted in 2004 to protect and enhance the significant value of the natural resources of the Highlands Region; and
Whereas, The Highlands Region is an over 800,000 acre area encompassing 88 municipalities and seven counties. The region is an essential source of clean drinking water for the State, generating over 370 million gallons of water a day, and providing a critical drinking water source for over 70 percent of New Jersey's population; and
Whereas, In order to protect the watershed and other valuable natural resources of the area, development in the Highlands Region is restricted and strictly regulated under the Highlands Act. As a result of this limitation on development, it is difficult for school districts located in the Highlands Region to raise the increased tax levy necessary to offset losses of State aid, such as those districts in the region have experienced as result of S2; and
Whereas, In light of the fact that the SFRA is based on student population among other factors, school districts in the Highlands Region have been and will continue to be disadvantaged, as the restrictions on development in the Highlands Region limit the ability of the Highlands municipalities to build new residential housing which would increase school district enrollment and add businesses to increase ratables; and
Whereas, These precipitous drops in State aid over the past several years under S2 may have actually moved the State further away from its goal of providing a "thorough and efficient education" and have imposed a heavy strain on property taxpayers who are already burdened trying to provide a quality education for New Jersey students; and
Whereas, Due to the unique circumstances faced by school districts in the Highlands Region and the extraordinary benefits provided to the citizens of the State through the preservation of this region, it is critical and only equitable that the Legislature make revisions to the SFRA to ensure that school districts in the Highlands Region and other areas of the State are not subject to abrupt cuts in State aid that impact their ability to provide students with a "thorough and efficient education"; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature of the State of New Jersey hereby expresses its intent that the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008," P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), be revised to eliminate significant reductions in State aid to school districts, especially those districts located in the Highlands Region and other areas of the State in which development is restricted.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor, the State Board of Education, and the Commissioner of Education.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution expresses the intent of the Legislature that the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008," (SFRA) be revised to eliminate significant reductions in State aid to school districts, especially those districts located in the Highlands Region and other areas of the State in which development is restricted.
In May of 2009, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that the SFRA was constitutional. The court's determination was premised on the expectation that the State would continue to fund the SFRA at the level required by the SFRA's formula. However in July of 2018, the Legislature modified the SFRA through the enactment of P.L.2018, c.67, commonly referred to as S2. One of the provisions of S2 eliminated the State aid category of adjustment aid which was intended to hold school districts harmless against a precipitous loss in State aid. The elimination of adjustment aid and the mechanism established under S2 for the redistribution of State aid among school districts resulted in the loss of significant amounts of State aid for school districts, including school districts in the Highlands Region.
Under the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act," development is restricted and strictly regulated in order to protect the vast natural resources found in the Highlands Region. As a result, it is difficult for school districts located in the Highlands Region to raise the increased tax levy necessary to offset losses in school aid, such as those experienced under S2. In light of the fact that State aid under the SFRA is based on student population and other factors, the restrictions on development in the Highlands Region limit the ability of these municipalities to build new residential housing, which would increase school district enrollment, and add businesses to increase ratables.
Due to the unique circumstances faced by school districts in the Highlands Region and the extraordinary benefits provided to the citizens of the State through the preservation of this region, it is critical and only equitable that the Legislature make revisions to the SFRA to ensure that school districts in the Highlands Region and other areas of the State are not subject to abrupt cuts in State aid.
