TRENTON, NJ — Senator Carmen Amato (R-9) on Tuesday called on Governor Phil Murphy to eliminate the 6% cap on school aid increases in the upcoming fiscal year, arguing it prevents adequate funding for districts that have suffered aid cuts since 2018.
Key Points:
- Sen. Carmen Amato called on Gov. Murphy to eliminate the 6% cap on school aid increases in FY 2026.
- The cap limits funding growth for districts that experienced state aid cuts from FY 2018 to FY 2025.
- Amato joins Republican lawmakers advocating full restoration of school funding.
“Our schools should not be forced to operate under an arbitrary cap that limits resources to students and teachers,” Amato said in a statement. He criticized the cap for failing to address the funding needs of districts that have experienced net losses in state aid between FY 2018 and FY 2025.
Amato joins a growing number of Republican lawmakers backing a proposal to fully restore state funding to school districts that were adversely affected during that period. The 6% cap limits how much a district’s state aid can increase in a given year, even if previous funding cuts were significant.
Supporters of eliminating the cap argue it unfairly penalizes districts already struggling with budget shortfalls, rising costs, and enrollment pressures.
The proposal comes ahead of budget negotiations for FY 2026, where education funding is expected to be a central issue.
Amato said removing the cap is “a necessary step to ensure fairness in the school funding process and restore aid to districts that have been unfairly impacted.”