Dear Parents & Staff of Palmyra School District,

March 28, 2024

We are elated that the residents of Palmyra voted in favor of our Bond Referendum on March 12th. The anticipated facility renovations and repairs will have a positive impact on our students, staff, and community. Thank you for your support.

I recently shared that State Aid numbers were released to all school districts on February 29, 2024. Unfortunately, our State Aid was reduced by $1,070,732 for the 2024-2025 school year. Here are the facts to this reduction:

Palmyra School District had a reduction in Equalization Aid. You can read how the state calculates that number here. School Finance 101 - New Jersey School Boards Association Please read the section titled "How much should a local school district pay" for information on this number. www.njsba.org

In short, our "District Income" had a dramatic increase
from 2020 (used to calculate Equalization Aid for this school year) to 2021 (used to calculate State Aid for next school year). Our District Income went from $217,109,243.00 in 2019 to $208,454,233.00 in 2020 (a 3.99% decrease). It then went from $208,454,233.00 in 2020 to $317,940,995.00 in 2021 (a 52.52% increase). "District Income" means the aggregate income of the residents of the taxing district or taxing districts, based upon data provided by the Division of Taxation in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and contained on the New Jersey State Income Tax forms.
We find this increase unlikely in our community and therefore applied for a Request for Recalculation of Equalization Aid to the New Jersey Department of Education.

In order to balance an already lean budget, it is necessary that we look at eliminating, downsizing, or adjusting services, programs, and personnel:

Elimination of 19 positions across all departments
Replace SRO with a Class 3 (Security and Safety Officer)
Move 6th grade back to Charles Street School
Move an Administrator from Palmyra High School to Charles Street School

We will continue to plan and prepare for the 2024-2025 school year to ensure that we maintain, and continue to improve, our delivery of high-quality instruction in the Palmyra School District.
The approval of the Bond Referendum by residents of Palmyra is a highlight for this year but please be mindful that the proceeds from the Bond Referendum can not be used to offset our reduction in State Aid. The Bond Referendum was specifically designed and approved to make improvements to our facilities, therefore those funds can not be used for anything other than what was advertised to the public.

Over the last few weeks our Business Administrator Jared Toscano and myself have met or spoken with our Borough leaders, administration from the New Jersey Association of School Business Administrators, and Senator Troy Singleton to receive any insight or understanding of the reason behind the substantial reduction in State Aid that we encountered. Senator Singleton indicated the possibility of Stabilization Aid for districts that had a reduction in state aid. This would be a one-time revenue that would only support the 2024-2025 budget.

I previously shared with you the contact information for several New Jersey Legislators and your emails are working. Senator Singleton met with us and voiced our concerns directly to the Acting Commissioner of Education and to his fellow leaders in his party. His office remains in constant contact with us to share his latest advocacy actions and news about bills he is sponsoring S3058, S3072, S2434, S2071, S1410 to ensure all schools are funded appropriately.

This is a legislative issue, and legislative issues require activism. There is only one way to turn it around. Let your voice be heard.
Take this message to everybody.
Reach out to the key legislative leaders listed below and urge them to swiftly address the current crisis by fully reinstating our state aid. It is imperative to do this as soon as possible so the district can finalize its budget in April. There will still be cuts, even if some or all of the state aid is returned to us, but those cuts will be less severe if our state aid is restored.

Senator Vin Gopal - Senate Education Committee Chair
(732) 695-3371 | email: SenGopal@NJLeg.org

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, Assembly Education Chair
(856) 435-1247 | email: AswLampitt@NJLeg.org

Senator Paul Sarlo - Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee Chair
(201) 804-8118 |email: SenSarlo@NJLeg.org

Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, Assembly Budget & Appropriations Chair
(973) 589-0713 |email: AswPintorMarin@NJLeg.org

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to submit them to me using this Google Form Questions and Concerns.

The Palmyra Board of Education and I would like to invite you to come early for the next Board meeting on April 10, 2024. We will hold a special session from 5:30 to 6:45 in order to present some important information and answer your questions and concerns.

Yours in education, Mark Pease- Palmyra Interim Superintendent

Palmyra School District

Kelly Hopkins '20