By Dr. George Corwell | Special Contributor

The often repeated refrain about the increasing tax burden on New Jersey citizens sometimes fails to include one obvious solution:  the continued vibrant existence of nonpublic schools in the state.  Parents will go to great lengths to exercise their opportunity to send their child to a nonpublic school of their choice.  This includes both sectarian and nonsectarian schools.  In return for their sacrifices, including paying their fair share of state and local taxes, the state and federal government provides only modest support for their efforts. 

This year’s state budget, as currently crafted by Governor Christie, provides an example of the need for ongoing efforts on the part of nonpublic school parents and other supporters to increase aid for the children, parents and teachers in nonpublic schools.  It should be noted that no money in any existing state or federal program goes directly to the nonpublic school.  Rather, the nonpublic school principal operates in loco parentis, that is in place of the parent, by choosing the appropriate services for the child in a nonpublic school. 

Two examples of problems faced by nonpublic school parents in Governor Christie’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget should be noted.  In the initial examination of the budget, it would appear that Governor Christie has provided an additional $750,000 to nonpublic school nursing services and $250,000 to nonpublic school textbooks. 

However, a more detailed examination of the budget numbers reveal an actual loss in nursing services dollars, as well as funds for the Nonpublic School Technology Initiative.  In order to understand the complexity of the problem, some explanation is needed.

In the 1991-1992 school year, the Legislature approved a modest program to provide basic nursing services to nonpublic school students.  The initial program was funded at $60 per pupil, which in most cases, was not adequate to supply a full-time nurse in all nonpublic schools.  The provider of nursing services could be either a local board of education, a local health department, or another appropriate third party contractor. 

No matter who the provider was, the nonpublic school parents were “dependent upon the kindness of strangers” in order to receive adequate nursing services for their children.  Local nonpublic school administrators had minimal input into the services which they felt would meet the need of their student population. 

In the intervening years until the State Budget of 2014, the amount of money per pupil for nonpublic school nursing service increased only to $77.20 – a far cry from keeping pace with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures relating to inflation.  Thus, the per-pupil amount increased by less than $1 per year over that time period. Meanwhile, the Catholic Conference received numerous complaints from school administrators in Catholic schools, as well as other nonpublic constituencies, about exorbitant costs charged for these nursing services. 

At the end of the budget process in June 2014 (the budget for the FY ’15 budget cycle), the Legislature increased the per-pupil amount to $94.85 per pupil in order to make every effort to have a full-time nurse available, through state funding, in every nonpublic school.  Governor Christie signed the current year budget with that figure included. 

However, when the Governor presented his budget for Fiscal Year 2016, the additional money provided by the Legislature to increase the per-pupil amount was removed and only $750,000 was placed in the program.  Thus, if the budget were to remain in its current form, nonpublic school students would eventually lose over $1.4 million from last year’s total. 

Meanwhile, the Legislature has passed several health and safety measures which affect the duties of the school nurse.  Issues such as diabetes plans, increased nursing duties regarding the review of physicals, and providing adequate supplies of epinephrine are merely a few requirements being imposed upon school health specialists.

While these are admirable measures, there are appropriate costs that are attached to each of these requirements.  Thus, while nonpublic school administrators struggle to recover the costs of a full-time nurse in order to maintain affordable tuition for nonpublic school parents, any loss in funding from the previous State Budget represents a severe hardship. 

A second area of concern in this year’s proposed budget by Governor Christie is the loss of dollars for the Nonpublic Technology Initiative.  In 1997, the Legislature passed the Comprehensive Education Improvement Funding Act (commonly known as CEIFA) which included a per-pupil appropriation for technology for public school students. Nonpublic groups felt that the need for technology for all students was a requirement for 21st century learning.  As a result, a modest program of $40 per nonpublic school pupil was created.

Several years after this initiative was enacted, public school officials lobbied the Legislature to broaden the scope of the funding which was limited to technology.  Their argument was that, in many instances, they were more than adequately prepared for technology and needed the money for other purposes.  That account remains in the State Budget up to this time and is listed as “Security Aid” with a current total of $195,491,000 available for Fiscal Year 2016.  The program is known as a “fungible” account, which means that the money can be used for a variety of purposes, not just technology. 

In contrast, the nonpublic school program was reduced several years ago from $40 per pupil to $20 per pupil and then eliminated in the last years of Governor Corzine’s budgets and the first years of Governor Christie’s budget.  It was restored to $32 per pupil by the Legislature for the 2014-2015 school year, but in Governor Christie’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget it was again reduced to $20 per pupil. 

The technology available for nonpublic school students has had a variety of uses, all of which fit the mandate of both the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions.  Any equipment is clearly marked “property of the local public school district,” and some of the dollars may be used for training nonpublic school teachers in the use of current technology. 

Technologically savvy graduates in both public and nonpublic schools are needed to improve the quality of the workforce in New Jersey and thus contribute to the future tax rolls of our state.   

The New Jersey Catholic Conference and other nonpublic school constituencies are concerned about the loss of money within the framework of the current Fiscal Year 2016 proposal by Governor Christie.  It is up to those who recognize the value of nonpublic schools to call, email, or make personal contact with the members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee in order to have those funds restored in the final version of the Appropriations Act for 2016 which the Legislature will present to the Governor in late June. 

Maintaining a healthy nonpublic school population in New Jersey is truly a wise choice for all taxpayers.  With an annual savings to taxpayers of over $1.4 billion (not including capital costs for additional public school buildings) these schools maintain the tradition that was begun by the first schools in our country – mainly the extensive system of private education prior to the establishment of public schools in 1840. 

New Jersey has been innovative, responsive and forward thinking when it comes to helping children, as evidenced by a wide range of programs developed by departments throughout state government designed for, and currently delivered to, children who attend New Jersey’s public schools.  These efforts are laudable and should continue, but, by and large, the students who attend nonpublic schools, as well as their parents and teachers, are often overlooked.

Restoring funds for nursing services and nonpublic technology is a small step toward the recognition of the role played by the nonpublic school community in the education of our state’s students and ultimately a win for all of New Jersey’s citizens.

George V. Corwell, Ed.D. is the director of the Office of Education for the New Jersey Catholic Conference and has been an advocate for nonpublic school students, parents and teachers in New Jersey for the past 27 years. 

To send a message to your legislators expressing your concern about the budget, go to the N.J. Catholic Conference’s “Faith in Action” advocacy page at votervoice.net/NJCC/home