Funding Fairness

• Senator Sweeney has made fully and fairly funding K-12 education one of his most important policy priorities. He has made significant progress and remains committed to providing school districts with 100 percent State funding as determined by the school funding formula.In response to glaring inequality in the way State aid for K-12 education was distributed, Senator Sweeney sponsored S.2, a law that increases funding, reallocates aid from over-funded districts to under-funded districts, and removes artificial caps that prevented growing districts from getting State funding for enrollment growth. With the enactment of S.2 in 2018, New Jersey is now on a path to fair and full funding. The money will follow the child as the State’s funding formula intends.
  
• Since 2018, the Legislature has added nearly $700 million in additional funds for school districts. This amount includes additional State funding to districts for Pre-K and Extraordinary Special Education that supports the education needs of students with more profound disabilities. These increases in State funding not only support our schools, but also provide property tax relief to New Jersey residents.  Senator Sweeney will continue to advocate for increases each fiscal year until funding reaches 100 percent.
  
• Legislation sponsored by Senator Sweeney, Assemblyman Burzichelli, and Assemblyman Taliaferro to address “non-operating” school districts created when two or more districts merge was signed into law by the Governor in July of 2017. The new law provides for the elimination of these newly formed non-operating districts, and establishes procedures for eliminating deficits that existed prior to the merger. The law also authorizes the renting of school buildings for 10 years.

Higher Education – Affordability and Investment

• Senator Sweeney has pledged to make higher learning more accessible for all New Jersey students. Through his collaboration with Senator Cunningham, the “College Affordability Study Commission” was established in February of 2015 and reported its recommendations in September of 2016. Acting on the recommendations of the Commission, Senator Sweeney and Senator Cunningham introduced a package of bills designed to reduce the financial burden on students while increasing their chances for success. The package included legislation permitting county and four-year institutions of higher education to offer 3-Plus-1 degree programs, a dual enrollment study commission, and open textbook resource programs. Each of these bills were passed and enacted in 2018.
  
• Senator Sweeney sponsored the “Building Our Future Bond Act,” which authorized $750 million in voter-approved bonds to finance higher education capital projects that will increase the academic competitiveness of New Jersey’s public and private colleges and universities. Grants approved for South Jersey included $357 million for Rutgers University, $117 million for Rowan University, $19 million for Rowan College at Gloucester County, $3 million for Salem Community College, and $2.5 million for Cumberland County College.