Education in the News

Protecting High-Risk Students in New Jersey

The New Jersey Supreme Court stood up for the state’s children and strongly rebuked Gov. Chris Christie when it ruled on Tuesday that his draconian school budget cuts violated the State Constitution by depriving impoverished children of an effective education.

In 2009, the state promised the court that it would adequately educate these children through a financing formula that guaranteed districts enough money to provide tutoring, counseling and services that high-risk students need to succeed at school. Mr. Christie sabotaged the plan last year when he vetoed a bill that would have raised revenue by taxing New Jersey’s wealthiest citizens. He then used the shortfall as an excuse to shortchange fair financing by about $1.6 billion, a cut of nearly 20 percent.

The cuts were disproportionately destructive for poorer districts that have weak tax bases and depend most heavily on state aid. Earlier this spring, a state court found that the cuts had already harmed disadvantaged children, placing them at an even greater risk of not meeting state standards.

In this latest, strongly worded ruling, the New Jersey Supreme Court admonished the state to put its house in order and reminded the governor and the Legislature that they were “not free to walk away from judicial orders enforcing Constitutional obligations.” Citing limited authority under the law, the court ordered the state to restore about $500 million to the 31 poorest districts covered in the long-running school financing case. The state is also required to ensure that adequate financing continues to flow as intended to these districts in future years.

Governor Christie, who suggested at one time that he would simply ignore this ruling, has apparently remembered his oath of office and says he will obey. That’s not enough. He and state lawmakers have a moral and legal obligation to do better, not just by the very poorest districts, but by the more than 200 districts being starved of the aid that they are legally entitled to and desperately need to educate their high-risk children.