(TRENTON) – Assembly Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) released the following statement Thursday after the committee heard from the Department of Education:
“There he goes again.
“Gov. Christie is once again spinning school aid figures to look as though he has been increasing the state’s commitment to public education. Gov. Christie claims his budget proposal will provide an increase in aid to school districts compared to three years ago, but he’s ignoring the $1 billion school aid cut he slammed schools with in 2010.
“The fact is that 82.5 percent of school districts would receive less direct aid then they were to receive in 2010 under the governor’s proposal. Less than one in five districts has even dug out of the hole Gov. Christie created for them, let alone gained ground.
“And 41 of the school districts supposedly receiving an increase would receive a boost of $1. They can’t even buy a Powerball ticket with such a windfall!”