JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ—The Jackson Township Council has approved a resolution supporting the Jackson School District’s ongoing financial battle against the state of New Jersey. Town leaders and community members welcomed Giuseppe Palmeri, the current Jackson School Board President, to speak before the township council.
In Tuesday night’s address to the Jackson Township Council, Board of Education President Giuseppe Palmeri provided an update on the state of the local schools, emphasizing the district’s challenges and successes. Palmeri highlighted the district’s fiscal responsibility, evidenced by internal and external audits, and pride in their financial management despite facing undeniable revenue limitations and financial concerns.
“As I am sure many of you are aware, over the past 6 years the Jackson School district has received a
deduction of 18M in State funded aid; in the infamous S2 funding formula cuts. Additionally, the State froze the
district budget in areas such as security, multi-language learning services, and transportation,” Palmeri said. “During this time
frame, over 215 staff positions, numerous student programs including some sports have been abolished. The
negative repercussions include high student class size, less student enrichment programs, the collapse of
many sports programs for our high school students, and an inability to maintain facilities throughout the district.”
Over the past six years, Palmeri noted that the Jackson School District has seen a reduction of $18 million in state-funded aid due to the S2 funding formula cuts.
This has led to over 215 staff positions and numerous student programs being cut, impacting class sizes, enrichment programs, sports, and the maintenance of facilities. In response to these challenges, the district applied for a state loan to balance the budget, further supported by $2.1 million in relief funding for this school year, a move Palmeri stated was necessary due to the district’s revenue problems, not spending issues.
Palmeri also mentioned legislative efforts to alleviate some financial burdens, such as Assemblyman Alex Sauickie’s Bill A3589, which aims to have the state fund the salary of a state-appointed monitor as part of the loan’s terms. The Board of Education and the Jackson Council have both shown support for this bill.
Despite the financial difficulties, Palmeri celebrated the district’s achievements, including high graduation rates, competitive sports, and award-winning arts and music programs, attributing these successes to the resilience of students and staff. He called for continued support from the township and encouraged community involvement in board meetings and staying informed through the district’s website.
This year, the district was forced to take a loan from the state, which then inserted a state monitor to oversee the district.
“Last budget year, with support from the Ocean County Superintendent, the district concluded that no more
additional programs and staff could be cut. Therefore, in an effort to balance the budget given the continued
State aid cuts and in conjunction to extraordinary increases to our non-public transportation costs that are
beyond our budgeting capacites, we opted to apply for a State Loan to make ends meet,” he said. “Thankfully, as this
council is aware, and we thank you for your support and advocacy our excellent school administration
completed grant fund paperwork and received 2.1M in relief funding for this school year ONLY, which will be
taken off of the initial loan amount requested.”
“To be clear, this was not what we wanted to do; however, it is evident from financial audits and reviews, that
Jackson has a revenue problem not a spending problem. The terms of this loan include a State appointed
monitor and as per those guidelines, the district is to pay the monitors’ state negotiated salary,” he said.
He added that the New Jersey Legislature could soon hear a bill, A3589 that would require the State to fund the salary of this
individual. The Board of Education passed a resolution at their public meeting last week in support of Bill A
3589 and we thank the Jackson Council for doing the same.
Palmeri concluded by thanking the council for their time and support, underscoring the need for the town’s full commitment, particularly in supporting Bill A3589, to ensure the district’s continued resilience and success.