Murphy plugs 2020 school aid plan — These are the biggest winners, losers

CRANFORD — With the deadline to pass a new balanced state spending plan less than three months away, Gov. Phil Murphy is pressing ahead with plans to highlight different components of his proposed budget across New Jersey.

On Thursday, Murphy traveled to Cranford High School to tout his plan to allocate $15.4 billion in the budget to support K-12 schools in the Garden State.

Under New Jersey’s re-configured school funding formula, Cranford would receive an 8.2% increase, a total of $2.84 million.

Nearly all Union County school districts would receive more money in the 2020 budget, but a majority of districts in other counties, including Monmouth and Ocean, will get less aid next year.

Statewide, 369 districts will have their education funding gradually increased, but on the flip side almost 200 other districts will get less money.

Murphy said the existing formula wasn’t working and needed to be changed, but he acknowledged cutting aid isn’t easy.

“We have enormous empathy, sympathy and we’re working with the communities, which are either slightly or a little bit more than slightly down, to try to find smart ways to deal with that," he said.

“Some communities are feeling that pain, we want to work with them. The commissioner has some amount of emergency aid at his disposal.”

Biggest losers by dollars lost

Jersey City — Hudson County
Change: -$27,192,633 / -6.7%

Freehold Regional — Monmouth County
Change: -$3,780,766 / -7.5%

Asbury Park City — Monmouth County
Change: -$3,426,828 / -6.4%

Toms River Regional — Ocean County
Change: -$2,780,498 / -4.2%

Brick Twp — Ocean County
Change: -$2,741,894 / -8.%

Pemberton Twp — Burlington County
Change: -$2,685,232 / -3.3%

Jackson Twp — Ocean County
Change: -$2,297,004 / -4.7%

Old Bridge Twp — Middlesex County
Change: -$1,961,039 / -4.4%

Howell Twp — Monmouth County
Change: -$1,645,527 / -5.%

Neptune Twp — Monmouth County
Change: -$1,634,653 / -5.2%

Manalapan-Englishtown Reg — Monmouth County
Change: -$1,538,750 / -8.2%

Vernon Twp — Sussex County
Change: -$1,467,098 / -6.1%

Washington Twp — Gloucester County
Change: -$1,454,975 / -3.%

Jefferson Twp — Morris County
Change: -$1,193,302 / -7.7%

South Brunswick Twp — Middlesex County
Change: -$1,150,181 / -4.6%

Hopatcong — Sussex County
Change: -$1,092,000 / -10.2%

Lenape Regional — Burlington County
Change: -$961,300 / -3.4%

West Milford Twp — Passaic County
Change: -$950,066 / -6.7%

Lower Twp — Cape May County
Change: -$947,285 / -9.6%

Evesham Twp — Burlington County
Change: -$924,838 / -7.1%

Biggest losers by percentage lost

Frenchtown Boro — Hunterdon County
Change: -$177,147 / -23.3%

Roosevelt Boro Monmouth County
Change: -$148,459 / -15.2%

Califon Boro — Hunterdon County
Change: -$43,800 / -14.%

Washington Twp — Burlington County
Change: -$79,439 / -13.%

Estell Manor City — Atlantic County
Change: -$224,280 / -10.4%

Dennis Twp — Cape May County
Change: -$597,414 / -10.3%

Hopatcong — Sussex County
Change: -$1,092,000 / -10.2%

Ocean Twp — Ocean County
Change: -$663,015 / -10.2%

Stillwater Twp — Sussex County
Change: -$174,593 / -10.2%

Weymouth Twp — Atlantic County
Change: -$222,953 / -9.9%

Springfield Twp — Burlington County
Change: -$111,324 / -9.7%

Lower Twp — Cape May County
Change: -$947,285 / -9.6%

Logan Twp — Gloucester County
Change: -$494,633 / -9.5%

Great Meadows Regional — Warren County
Change: -$538,066 / -9.5%

Byram Twp — Sussex County
Change: -$358,049 / -9.4%

Lebanon Twp — Hunterdon County
Change: -$214,844 / -9.4%

Hampton Boro — Hunterdon County
Change: -$85,671 / -9.3%

Delaware Valley Regional — Hunterdon County
Change: -$354,248 / -9.2%

Neptune City — Monmouth County
Change: -$180,852 / -9.%

Cape May Point — Cape May County
Change: -$2,290 / -9.%

Biggest winners by dollars gained

Newark City — Essex County
Change: $24,767,712 / 3.1%

Elizabeth City — Union County
Change: $15,136,244 / 3.9%

Lakewood Twp — Ocean County
Change: $14,938,768 / 63.7%

Paterson City — Passaic County
Change: $13,238,364 / 3.1%

Atlantic City — Atlantic County
Change: $11,393,406 / 39.2%

Plainfield City — Union County
Change: $8,594,435 / 6.5%

Trenton City — Mercer County
Change: $8,578,701 / 3.5%

Woodbridge Twp — Middlesex County
Change: $7,392,702 / 21.8%

New Brunswick City — Middlesex County
Change: $5,957,300 / 4.5%

Bayonne City — Hudson County
Change: $5,496,002 / 9.2%

Passaic City — Passaic County
Change: $5,191,735 / 2.2%

Clifton City — Passaic County
Change: $5,089,651 / 14.5%

Union City — Hudson County
Change: $4,969,701 / 2.6%

Bridgeton City — Cumberland County
Change: $4,590,125 / 5.3%

Perth Amboy City — Middlesex County
Change: $4,514,814 / 2.7%

Egg Harbor Twp — Atlantic County
Change: $4,228,730 / 9.6%

Linden City — Union County
Change: $3,668,890 / 13.5%

North Brunswick Twp — Middlesex County
Change: $3,597,220 / 19.1%

Passaic County Vocational — Passaic County
Change: $3,485,615 / 13.2%

Kearny Town — Hudson County
Change: $3,391,922 / 8.9%

Biggest winners by % gained

Lakewood Twp — Ocean County
Change: $14,938,768 / 63.7%

Atlantic City — Atlantic County
Change: $11,393,406 / 39.2%

Woodbridge Twp — Middlesex County
Change: $7,392,702 / 21.8%

Cumberland Co Vocational — Cumberland County
Change: $1,042,690 / 19.8%

North Brunswick Twp — Middlesex County
Change: $3,597,220 / 19.1%

Atlantic Co Vocational — Atlantic County
Change: $1,511,165 / 17.4%

South Hackensack Twp — Bergen County
Change: $49,678 / 16.8%

Elmwood Park — Bergen County
Change: $1,417,898 / 16.7%

Edison Twp — Middlesex County
Change: $3,203,861 / 16.2%

Fairview Boro — Bergen County
Change: $1,971,395 / 15.6%

Hackensack City — Bergen County
Change: $2,875,682 / 15.%

North Arlington Boro — Bergen County
Change: $479,622 / 14.6%

Clifton City — Passaic County
Change: $5,089,651 / 14.5%

Hi-Nella — Camden County
Change: $150,025 / 14.4%

West Long Branch Boro — Monmouth County
Change: $49,271 / 14.3%

Essex Fells Boro — Essex County
Change: $17,327 / 14.2%

Linden City — Union County
Change: $3,668,890 / 13.5%

Passaic County Vocational — Passaic County
Change: $3,485,615 / 13.2%

West Orange Town — Essex County
Change: $1,606,160 / 13.1%

Secaucus Town — Hudson County
Change: $214,386 / 13.1%

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, who attended the Cranford event with the Democratic governor, said “we have some concerns about some districts that lost substantial funds, that’s why we’re in the middle of this budget process, and that’s why we should continue to talk to each other.”

He stressed that “even though we may not agree on every issue, it’s important that we show students that Republicans and Democrats can meet, can talk, and can be civil to each other.”

Murphy noted “our administration’s goal remains ensuring that every district receives its fair share of funding.”

He said “this is a simple concept that was pushed aside by the prior administration and it is one we’re working hard to get back to.”

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