Testimony Before Assembly Budget Committee Presented by Judy Savage Executive Director, NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools 210 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08608 609-392-6222 js@judysavage.net March 13, 2007 Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Honorable Members of the Assembly Budget Committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify on behalf of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools as your begin your deliberations on the 2008 budget. It has been quite a year since I last came before you to speak about the budget. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of this committee and your colleagues over the past 12 months as you faced the challenges of a difficult budget and the special session on property tax reform. Certainly, much was accomplished, and some key goals must still be addressed. Chief among these is the need for a new school funding formula that will provide equitable support for all students in New Jersey. New Jersey’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts are the state’s original shared service providers. They offer a wide range of technical, occupational, and academic opportunities to over 28,000 secondary students and more than 50,000 adults statewide. While traditional programs such as auto technology, culinary arts and building trades are still a mainstay, today’s county vocational schools are high-tech learning environments that prepare students for careers in information technology, health care, engineering, business and many other high-skill, high wage fields. Rigorous academics coupled with real-world learning enable students to develop specialized skills that expand college options, advance their earning power, and strengthen New Jersey’s workforce. County vocational schools also serve as regional magnet programs for special education students. Statewide, more than 25% of our secondary students receive special education services, and that percentage is even higher in many counties. Vocational-technical education programs give these children skills, experience, and self-confidence that they cannot get in a traditional academic classroom. From an educational and fiscal perspective, it makes good sense to offer these specialized programs on a county-wide basis. The Council and our member districts appreciate the strong
2 support that the Legislature and this committee have provided to vocational-technical education in the past. Faced with another year of interim funding, the Governor’s proposed budget for 2008 is a “mixed bag” for public education and our county vocational schools. Certainly, we appreciate receiving a modest increase after several years of level or limited funding. A three percent acrossthe-board increase and some additional aid to support at-risk students is a positive step. However, this interim scenario does not relieve the pain imposed by many years of rising enrollment coupled with flat funding. The hands-on career and technical programs offered by New Jersey’s 21 county vocational school districts are more expensive than regular academics because they require small classes, experienced teachers, and specialized equipment and materials. Our county-based delivery system is a cost-effective way to make these programs available to all students on a regional basis. County vocational schools rely on categorical aid to support these additional costs. The amount of per pupil aid for vocational and special education has not increased since fiscal year 2002, even though program costs have increased and enrollment has grown significantly. So, while a small percentage increase is welcome and appreciated, it does not address the multi-year shortfall in aid to support vocational education, special education, and other specialized programs. The good news in this budget is some additional funding for schools that serve significant numbers of low-income students. County vocational-technical schools enroll thousands of Abbott students as well as others who are considered at-risk. Yet, the previous funding formula ignored their needs. It did not allow additional state aid to support Abbott students to follow them to the county vocational school. We are encouraged that the Governor has recommended additional aid to support low-income students in non-Abbott districts next year. Aid for at-risk students, regardless of where they live, must be a central element of a new funding formula. Twelve of New Jersey’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts are slated to receive almost $2.9 million in targeted at-risk aid. Several urban counties that serve mostly Abbott students will receive the largest allocations, welcome acknowledgment of these students’ intensive academic and social needs. While this new targeted at-risk aid program (TARA) does not fully address the needs of low-income students, it is a very positive step and we encourage your support. For the past several years, the Legislature included a growth aid program in the budget to provide some relief to districts with rising enrollment. Aid for Above Average Enrollment Growth has been very helpful to county vocational schools that have added full-time programs to meet new
3 state graduation requirements or expanded to meet increased local demand. While the proposed across the board increase is important, it does not recognize the needs of fast-growing districts like Union and Passaic. We hope that the Legislature will consider including the growth aid program in the budget again next year. The last issue I would like to highlight is the need to reinstate funding for New Jersey’s adult high school programs. Operated by some county vocational schools and local school districts, these programs offer dropouts and recent immigrants a second chance to earn a high school diploma. They actually save money by taking dropouts off the streets and welfare rolls and giving them the skills and credential they need to earn a living wage. In 2004, the per pupil CEIFA funding for adult high schools was shifted into a new category known as Consolidated Aid, and school districts were told they could use the adult high school money for any purpose. With their school funding stagnant and the programs no longer generating aid, many school districts cut their adult high schools, which are not mandated by law. The number of programs has already declined from 54 in 2001 to 43 this year, and the number of students served has shrunk by almost 40% as districts eliminate or cut back on these programs. Certainly, nobody would suggest that the number of dropouts has also declined during that time. A shocking number of adults in New Jersey lack the most basic credential for success – a high school diploma. And the number of young people who drop out of high school will rise exponentially as New Jersey moves to increase its graduation requirements. Adult high school programs provide a critical safety net for out of school teenagers and young adults who want to earn a real high school diploma and build a better future. But, if these students do not generate any state aid, few school districts will be able to sustain these second change programs. The long-term solution is to reinstate this aid category in a new funding formula, as recommended by the Joint Legislative Committee on School Funding Reform. Assembly Bill 1391, sponsored by Assemblywoman Quigley and Assemblyman Vas, would restore targeted funding for the upcoming budget year. It received unanimous approval by the Assembly Education Committee last month. A more immediate solution is to restore aid for adult high school programs in this year’s budget. The budget already includes a line item for adult and postsecondary education. We ask that you consider adding language in the fiscal year 2008 budget to ensure that some of this money will be distributed to school districts as adult high school aid rather than as generic consolidated aid.
4 While this will not change the state’s net appropriation or the amount received by individual school districts, it will send a powerful message that the Legislature supports adult high school programs and intends to preserve their funding. It will keep the programs afloat until you can act on legislation or a new funding formula. Looking beyond the budget, we hope to work closely with this committee and the Legislature towards a new school funding formula that will address the unique needs of New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools. As county-based shared service providers, our needs are different from local school districts. The continuation of key categorical aid programs, as recommended by the Joint Committee on School Funding Reform, is fundamental to our continued success. Vocational program aid is essential to support high-quality academic and technical training, and encourages delivery of high-cost programs on a regional basis. Categorical aid to support adult vocational training and second chance high schools is the only state support for these twilight and evening programs, which extend the use of county vocational school facilities and staff. In closing, I thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of New Jersey’s county vocational schools and students. We know you must address many critical needs and priorities in this year’s budget, and we appreciate your commitment to keeping school funding front and center this year. Thank you for your ongoing support for career and technical education and for considering our needs again this year.