NJ Charter School Parents Push State Lawmakers To Restore Funding

NEW JERSEY — Dozens of parents of public charter school students from New Jersey cities, including Newark, recently paid a visit to Trenton to push for more funding in the state budget.

A group of 35 public charter school parents and advocates from Camden, Paterson, Newark, Trenton, Plainfield and Jersey City joined advocates from the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) at the Statehouse earlier this month, where they met with lawmakers as part of their “SameKidsSameNeeds” campaign.

Advocates are asking lawmakers to “restore aid for repairs and maintenance in public charter school buildings” that was cut in Gov. Phil Murphy’s draft state budget.

Parents attended committee hearings, pushing lawmakers to fully fund the Charter and Renaissance School Emergent Project and Capital Maintenance Fund.

In the governor’s proposed budget, funding was decreased from $20 million to $5 million, representing a 75 percent cut in critical facilities funding, the NJPCSA stated.

According to the nonprofit:

“Public charter schools, which educate 1 in 5 students in New Jersey’s most under-resourced communities, have historically been excluded from school construction funding. On average, public charters spend $2,000 per student from their operating budgets on building needs, diverting resources that could be used to increase teacher salaries, purchase classroom supplies, and technology.”

“We have students in buildings that are well over 100-years-old where pipes burst, boilers break, windows won’t open and roofs leak,” said T.J. Best, a senior advisor at NJPCSA.

“This is about fairness and equity for all of New Jersey’s students,” Best added. “We must recognize that these are all our children, regardless of the type of school they attend.”

Athena Davis-Shaw, whose child attends Philip’s Academy Charter School in Newark, has seen firsthand how with resources the school has received in the past has been put to use repairing a leaky roof and making spaces “more accessible” for students and staff.

“However, the repairs from Hurricane Ida are still ongoing and we need funding to continue fixing damage from the storm,” Davis-Shaw added.

It’s not just Newark charter schools that need urgent repairs, said Maria Cruz, parent liaison at LEAP University Academy Charter School in Camden.

“The state is not doing its part to ensure we’re getting the necessary resources for our facilities,” Cruz said. “I’m asking Gov. Murphy and the Legislature to restore this funding and make sure every school is a place where our kids can learn and grow.”

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