LRHSD Advocates for School Funding Reform
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm and Board of Education (BOE) Finance Chair David Stow presented testimony to the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) Division of Finance and Business Services. The well-attended meeting centered on recommendations for much-needed changes to the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) and its impact on the district.
"For over 12 years, LRHSD has faced mounting fiscal challenges due to the SFRA formula and subsequent amendments," said Dr. Birnbohm. "These challenges have forced us to make difficult decisions that affect students, staff, and taxpayers alike. A fully funded state budget for all school districts is essential to addressing these inequities."
As part of the presentation, LRHSD referenced a report entitled A Path Forward: School Funding Solutions. Originally developed by the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the report was tailored by LRHSD Business Administrator & Board Secretary Kara Huber to focus specifically on the district.
The LRHSD proposed several reforms, including but not limited to smooth Local Fair Share fluctuations, revising transportation aid to reflect actual costs, fully funding extraordinary aid, using actual special education enrollment data for funding allocations, needs concerning security aid, funding for cybersecurity infrastructure and mental health initiatives.
- Volatility in State Aid: Unpredictable Local Fair Share calculations have caused significant fluctuations in funding, exacerbated by a 2% tax levy cap that limits districts' ability to address funding shortfalls.
- Transportation Costs: Rising transportation expenses, up 42.52% over the past three years, far outpace the modest 9.87% increase in transportation aid, leaving the district to absorb unsustainable deficits.
- Inadequate High School Support: The declining grade-level weight for high school students in the funding formula penalizes regional districts like LRHSD, which face unique challenges such as extensive extracurricular programming and statewide competition travel.
- Special Education Funding: A census-based formula underfunds districts with higher-than-average special education enrollment, costing LRHSD $3.6 million annually.
- Outdated Funding Formula and Modern Needs: The funding formula, developed years ago, fails to address the real-time needs of today’s schools. It does not adequately account for things like the growing demand for student mental health services, enhanced school security, and advancements in technology infrastructure and cybersecurity.
"The level of engagement at the meeting shows just how critical this issue is to our community and others across the state," Dr. Birnbohm noted. "The current funding formula, while well-intentioned, fails to account for the realities faced by high-performing districts like the LRHSD. We urge the NJDOE to champion reforms that ensure fairness, predictability, and adequacy in school funding."
The LRHSD tailored A Path Forward: School Funding Solutions report, Dr. Birnbohm and Mr. Stow’s full testimonies and a written testimony submitted by LRHSD BOE President Charles Roseboro is available on the LRHSD website and provides further details on the district’s recommendations and the critical need for systemic reform.
With critical budget deadlines looming, Mr. Stow said, “It's time for you to make a change. It’s time for you to step up and do what is right! It’s time for you to create a funding formula that stabilizes funding for every school district by creating a policy that provides a minimum standard of financial support for each and every student across this state.”