Evesham, Lenape Regional big losers in proposed state funding for school districts; Cherry Hill among the biggest winners.

Some school districts in 70and73 Land are among the biggest losers in the state's reshuffling of school funding under Gov. Murphy's 2021 state budget.

Evesham Township School District would lose $1,390,659, a decline of 11% in its state aid between this year's budget and the proposed one for fiscal year 2021. Lenape Regional would lose $1,155,936 or 4%.

Officials from school districts in the area covered by the Lenape Regional district recently held a public meeting and said cuts could force reductions in programs and staff.  

"We are beginning to exhaust all options and know that reductions in school funding threaten to severely diminish the options and services we afford our students," Lenape Regional Superintendent Carol Birnbohm said at the meeting, according to a report by nj.com.

A petition on change.org by Lenape Region SOS has gathered more than 5,700 signatures out of its goal of 7,500. "This petition is an admission that we can no longer sustain these cuts and continue to provide the efficient, comprehensive education we are entrusted and required to deliver," according to the petition.

When all districts are ranked by dollar decreases in state aid — with the Jersey City district ranked No. 1 with the deepest cut ($55 million) — Evesham ranked 18th worst among all districts and Lenape ranked 23rd, according to a 70and73.com analysis of the redistribution of state aid.

Cherry Hill is a big winner in the reshuffle: State aid would increase $3,473,865, or 19%. When all districts are ranked by dollar increases in state aid, Cherry Hill had the 33rd-highest increase among all districts in the state.

On average, school aid will increase nearly 4% for all districts, a dollar gain of nearly $337 million, according to state statistics. In total, Gov. Murphy's budget proposes $16.3 billion in school support, of which about $9 billion is in the state aid to districts package.

On Thursday, Murphy said his budget proposal "furthers my administration’s commitment to level the playing field across New Jersey’s public education system, ensuring that all students have access to a high quality, world-class education."

"The FY2021 budget proposal continues the seven-year phase-in to full funding of the school funding formula," according to the governor's office. "That law, S2, was designed to address inequities that resulted from the multiple years of overfunding some districts while failing to adequately meet the needs of other growing districts."

Others around 70and73:

• Voorhees, aid cut by $293,494 or 6%.
• Eastern Camden County Regional, aid cut by $368,407, or 4%.
• Medford Township, aid cut by $155,531, or 3%.
• Medford Lakes, aid increased by $64,687, or 4%.
• Mount Laurel, aid increased by $382,255, or 8%.

In South Jersey, the biggest dollar losers included Pemberton, Burlington County (the largest loss, totaling $4.63 million); Washington Township, Gloucester County; Lower Township, Cape May County and Lower Cape May Regional, Cape May County. Other big dollar losers in the 70and73 region included Lumberton, Tabernacle, Shamong, all in Burlington County. 

Presented below is the list of all South Jersey school districts, ranked by percentage change in school aid from this school year to next. 

South Jersey school districts ranked by percentage loss in state aid.

SOURCE: New Jersey Department of Education; data available by clicking here.