(TRENTON) – Assembly Appropriations Chairman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland) released the following statement Monday after questioning the state’s acting education commissioner about school funding during Monday’s Assembly Budget Committee hearing:
“I appreciate the acting education commissioner taking my questions on the continued school funding concerns, and I especially appreciate the taxpayers who came to today’s hearing to make sure their concerns are heard.
“This budget as proposed by the department does not work. We’ve got to get the school funding formula right before we can get anything else right. This is about educating our children fairly and properly, but it’s also about overdue property tax relief.
“This is achievable, if we’re willing to work together and with reason. I thank the acting commissioner for his willingness to continue working on this priority, but the coming weeks are time for action. We can’t keep doing this year after year.”