Two-thirds of some of New Jersey’s highest-need school districts are overcrowded, as proposed funding for school construction remains low.
Schools in 19 of the 31 Schools Development Authority districts, where construction is paid for entirely by the state, are over capacity or do not have enough square footage per student, according to a new state report. More than 11,000 seats are needed to address capacity needs, about half of which are in Elizabeth. The agency estimates addressing facilities needs that aren’t already funded would cost about $6 to 7 billion.
The governor’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 would allocate $350 million from the off-budget Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund to the agency. Over the last three years, the state allocated almost $2 billion for school construction projects, but the funds are already being spent on emergency projects.
Read more at NJ Spotlight News.
