Dear NJEA Member/Friend of Education:

April 2005

The Phillipsburg Education Association is asking you to get out and vote in favor of your local school budget on Tuesday, April 19. The chart below shows how local school budgets have fared over the past three years.

*
2002
2003
2004
3 Year
Pass. %

Y
N
Diff
Y
N
Diff
Y
N
Diff
Alpha
80
68
12
70
82
-12
57
42
15
2/3 = 67%
Bloomsbury
57
25
32
54
135
-81
80
49
31
2/3 = 67%
Greenwich
175
1,155
-980
232
221
11
173
102
71
2/3 = 67%
Harmony
126
55
71
99
48
51
85
47
38
3/3 = 100%
Lopatcong
213
217
-4
506
273
233
241
249
-8
1/3 = 33%
Phillipsburg
299
277
22
247
210
37
307
241
66
3/3 = 100%
Pohatcong
97
122
-25
136
112
24
133
121
12
2/3 = 67%
Total # Voters
2,966

 
2,425

 
1,927

 

 
Passing % - P’burg districts
4/7 = 57%

 

 
5/7 = 71%

 

 
6/7 = 86%

 
Passing % - Warren County
70%

 

 
70%

 

 
70%

 
Passing % - New Jersey
65%

 

 
62%

 

 
70%

 
* Source: NJEA Research Department

Finances for schools in 2005-06 are going to be tight according to recent articles from local newspapers.

"Faced with a $4 billion budget shortfall, acting Gov. Richard Codey is looking to hold flat the $6.9 billion in state aid given to New Jersey's public schools in the 2005-06 school year.… (T)he state has under-funded schools for the past four years." … "We've been reducing the state Department of Education budget every year," said William Librera, DOE commissioner"- The Express-Times, March 4, 2005

"In letters sent to the 31 districts, … "It is clear that the state will not be able to fund Abbott District budgets as intended," said the letter from Assistant Education Commissioner Richard Rosenberg. "You are encouraged to consider increasing your local levy to support any increased spending."" - The Star-Ledger, March 4, 2005

Defeated school budgets result in a loss of programs for students and jobs for staff. If every one of the over 700 NJEA members living in the Phillipsburg area, along with their families and friends, vote in favor of the local school budgets on April 19, every budget will pass. If you are not certain where to vote, polling locations, addresses and times can be found on the back of this letter. Results of the votes will be available on Wednesday, April 20, at http://www.pburgea.org.

Respectfully,

Charles Nowalk, chairperson
PEA ad hoc School Budgets Committee
pburgea@hotmail.com

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