ACTION NEEDED: MESSAGE FROM THE DIOCESE
May 1, 2017
Posted at 20:40h
in News
A Message from the Diocese of Trenton:
ISSUES:
PRIORITY #1 – Nonpublic school transportation. The ceiling for nonpublic school transportation has been frozen at $884.00 since the 2007-2008 school year. This situation means that districts and/or private bus operators cannot bid routes at beyond $884.00 per pupil. Please note the enclosed Talking Points for discussing nonpublic school busing with legislators and other interested individuals.
PRIORITY #2 – Governor Christie’s proposed 2018 Budget cut $9 million from nonpublic school aid reducing if from $95.5 million to $86.5 million. Included in the cuts were the elimination of the entire Nonpublic School Security Program which had been funded at $50.00 per student and the elimination of increases in nonpublic school nursing services and technology aid. Please note the enclosed talking points for discussing these accounts with legislators and other interested individuals.
OUR POSITION:
The New Jersey Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Network of Catholic School Families seek:
1. To increase the $884.00 by moving funds currently in the Fiscal Year 2018 Governor’s Budget. This is the major issue for the Catholic schools.
2. To restore the $9 million removed from the nonpublic school accounts in the Governor’s Budget at least to the level of funding in the Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations Act.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
1.Call, write, or email the members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee (listed below) and ask them to increase the $884.00 to compensate for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases over the last 11 years. If your district does not have legislators on either of the Committees, call, write, or email your legislator and ask that they speak with members of those two committees in order to increase the funding. This task could be accomplished by shifting funds in the current Governor’s Budget without increasing the overall budget.
2. Call, write, or email the members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee (c.f. listed below) and ask them to restore the cuts in nursing, technology, and security for the 2017-2018 school year. If your district does not have legislators on either of the Committees, call, write, or email your legislator and ask that they speak with members of those two committees in order to restore this aid.
THIS IS NOT A ONE AND DONE CAMPAIGN. WE WILL NEED TO FOLLOW-UP A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS IN ORDER THAT THE ISSUES REMAIN A PRIORITY IN THE MINDS OF THE LEGISLATORS.
You may use the New Jersey Catholic Conference Faith in Action – Voter Voice system (LINK AVAILABLE HERE)
Senate Budget & Appropriation Committee Members to Contact:
Jennifer Beck (R)
32 Monmouth Street, 3rd flr Red Bank, NJ 07701
(732) 933-1591 / FAX: (732) 933-1598 / SenBeck@njleg.org
Linda R. Greenstein (D)
1249 South River Rd., Suite 105, Cranbury, NJ 08512
(609) 395-9911 / FAX: (609) 395-9032 / SenGreenstein@njleg.org
Samuel Thompson (R)
2501 Highway 516, Suite 101, Old Bridge, NJ 08857
(732) 607-7580 / FAX: (732) 607-7879 / SenThompson@njleg.org
Assembly Budget Committee Members to Contact:
Declan Joseph O’Scanlon, Jr. (R)
32 Monmouth Street, 3flr. , Red Bank, NJ 07701
(732) 933-1591 / FAX: (732) 933-1598 / AsmOScanlon@njleg.org
John J. Burzichelli (D) Vice-Chair
935 Kings Highway, Suite 400, West Deptford, NJ 08086
(856) 251-9801 / FAX: (856) 251-9752/ AsmBurzichelli@njleg.org
Anthony M. Bucco (R)
1040 Route 10 West, Suite 104, Randolph, NJ 07869
(973) 927-2526 / FAX: (973) 927-2529 / AsmBucco@njleg.org
John DiMaio (R)
245 Route 22, Suite 208, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
(908) 722-1365 / FAX: (908) 852-2500 / AsmDiMaio@njleg.org
Elizabeth Maher Muoio (D)
144 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
(609) 571-9638 / FAX: (609) 633-2179 / AswWatsonColeman@njleg.org
Maria Rodriguez-Gregg (R)
176 Route 70, Suite 13, Medford, NJ 08055
(609) 654-1498 / FAX: (609) 654-4518 / Asw@njleg.org
Troy Singleton (D)
400 N. Church Street, Suite 260, Moorestown, NJ 08057
(856) 234-2790 / FAX: (856) 234-2957 / AsmSingleton@njleg.org