New Jersey public schools receive $205 per student in state security aid. At the November 7 meeting of the Highland Park borough council meeting, Councilwoman Elsie Foster-Dublin, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, addressed New Jersey Senate Bill S.3080, introduced by New Jersey State Senators Vin Gopal and Joe Laguna, and its companion Assembly Bill A.4597, which was introduced by Assembly members Gary Schaer, Lisa Swain and Christopher Tully, both of which would increase non-public school security funding. Specifically, these legislative bills call for a supplemental appropriation of $11,300,000 to increase per-student funding for non-public school security aid from $75 to $150.
During the November 7 council meeting, Councilwoman Foster-Dublin brought up Teach NJS’ advocacy and stated her support for the legislation. She said “…it’s about keeping everyone safe, it’s about security funding for nonpublic schools.” She continued, “We’re going to be discussing this more in our Public Safety meeting, but I think it was really important to address this, and I will be asking my council colleagues for their support with this bill going forward.”
The Highland Park Public Safety Committee will be meeting prior to the council’s 12/4 meeting, and will discuss recommending to the council that it pass a resolution in support of S.3080 and A.4597 to increase security funding for non-public schools. Such a resolution would urge Highland Park’s elected state legislators, State Senator Patrick Diegnan, Jr. and Assembly members Robert Karabinchak and Nancy Pinkin of New Jersey’s 18th Legislative District, to support the bills, so that the governor may have the opportunity to sign the increase in security funding for non-public schools for the current school year into law.
