Jackson, NJ – Assemblyman Alex Sauickie has introduced legislation aimed at shifting the financial burden of state-appointed school monitors from local districts to the state of New Jersey. The bill, A3589, comes in response to the significant financial pressures faced by districts in northern Ocean County, including the Jackson Township School District, due to statutory state aid cuts and rising student transportation costs.
Joined by Jackson Board of Education President Giuseppe Palmeri and members Megan Gardella and Brian McCarron, Sauickie’s proposal seeks to alleviate the financial strain on districts forced to compensate state monitors. The appointment of Carole Knopp-Morris as the monitor for Jackson Township, with a salary and compensation package exceeding $200,000, has sparked controversy. Knopp-Morris has the authority to override the superintendent and school board decisions, a move criticized by Sauickie and local officials as exacerbating the district’s financial woes.
Sauickie highlighted the broader issues contributing to the district’s fiscal crisis, including the implementation of the S2 law, which has led to a reduction of $18 million in state aid over six years, resulting in the loss of over 200 education staff positions. The district’s obligation to provide transportation for nearly 7,600 students, plus an additional 3,800 nonpublic school students, has further strained its $165.8 million budget.
The assemblyman’s legislative efforts extend beyond A3589, with several other bills aimed at addressing the school funding and transportation crisis. These include permanent funding solutions (A1284), additional state pupil transportation aid (A1286), and the establishment of a nonpublic school transportation program (A1287).