Dunn Calls on Governor Sherrill to Hold School Funding Meeting in the Highlands
Reported byParsippany Focus
Read the full story at Parsippany FocusAI-assisted summary
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, who represents New Jersey's 25th Legislative District, is asking Governor Mikie Sherrill to hold a public meeting on school funding in the Highlands region. She says schools in West Milford, Jefferson and surrounding Highlands communities are in a serious funding crisis.
According to Dunn, the Sherrill administration has set up a series of public meetings spanning 18 months to talk about changes to the state's school funding formula, but no session was placed in the Highlands. Dunn says five schools in the area have closed over the past two years. She links the financial strain to limits on development, arguing that Highlands towns help safeguard the state's drinking water while local taxpayers and schools bear the cost. She says she has pushed for a fairer formula and has proposed a legislative package she calls the Clean Water Promise.
Dunn also says she helped bring in $625,000 in emergency aid this year for the Jefferson and West Milford districts. She described that money as welcome relief but not a lasting fix. She is urging residents to phone the Governor's Office to request a regional meeting. The article does not say whether the governor's office has responded or plans to add a Highlands session.
Why it matters
The state is weighing changes to how it pays for schools, and the article reports that Highlands communities with recent school closures were not included in the meeting schedule. Families, staff and taxpayers there may want to know how and where they can weigh in.
- State funding formula
- State aid
- School closures
- State legislature
- Property taxes
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
Sign in to react.
- How should the state decide where to hold public meetings about changing the school funding formula?
- What role, if any, should land-use limits tied to protecting drinking water play in how school aid is calculated?
- How can residents of a region without a scheduled meeting make sure their concerns reach state decision-makers?
Suggested with AI.
Public discussion (0)
Share how this affects your community. Be respectful, stay on topic, and don't post personal information. Editors may hide comments that break these rules.