New Jersey Commission Supports More Aid To Non-Public Schools

On July 20, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie released the report of the Governor’s Study Commission on New Jersey’s Nonpublic Schools. Titled Quality Education for All of New Jersey’s Children: The Importance of Supporting the Complementary Relationship Between New Jersey’ s Public and Nonpublic Schools, the report recommends a number of steps to enhance aid to students in private schools, including various tax credits and scholarships. Concluding that its recommendations can be carried out in a manner consistent with case law on aid to religious schools, the  report says:

Between 2004-2009 nonpublic enrollment declined 29,810 – and those students entered the public system at a cost of approximately $430-490 million to the taxpayer this year. Taxpayers cannot sustain the impact of that, proven by the fact that the state budget this year cut from education spending almost that exact amount. That is not a coincidence: it is a consequence.

Yesterday's New Jersey Jewish Standard summarizes the commission's recommendations.