Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Let's Stop Playing Games And Practice Fairness!

New Jersey State Senator Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) expressed concern that legislation (A-4453) transferring military-connected children living on Naval Weapons Station Earle from one school district to another fails to address the underlying problem of how to fairly fund the education of children living on military bases across New Jersey.

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Sen. Jennifer Beck urged her colleagues to consider legislation she sponsors that would provide additional State aid to all school districts for the military-connected students they serve. (Google Maps)
“I’ve opposed this legislation because it is too narrowly focused and doesn’t represent a real funding solution for all of the host communities across the state that bear the responsibility of educating the children living on New Jersey’s military bases,” said Beck. “The issue at Earle is part of a much broader property tax problem that impacts all of the communities surrounding the military installations across the state. All of those communities that provide services to support our military families deserve additional property tax relief.”

Beck voted ‘no’ on the legislation in the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee on June 26th.

As an alternative, Beck urged her colleagues to consider legislation she sponsors, S-2903, that would provide additional State aid to all school districts for the military-connected students they serve.

Beck’s comprehensive legislation eliminates the local property tax burden associated with educating the students of families stationed at any of the military installations in New Jersey by covering a local district’s share of the expense.

“The children of parents who serve deserve our entire state’s support,” added Beck. “The cost of supporting their education shouldn’t fall on the property taxpayers of a few towns. Let’s work together to properly fund military students wherever they live.”

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