TEANECK, NJ – Teach NJ, the leading advocacy organization for New Jersey’s nonpublic school children, expresses its thanks to Gov. Phil Murphy for demonstrating his ongoing commitment to keeping all K-12 students safe as he unveiled his annual budget proposal today and kept nonpublic school security funding at $150 per child.
Just two months ago, the governor signed into law a bill that brings security funding for K-12 nonpublic schools to its highest level in the state’s history. The $22.6 million allocation, for which Teach NJ has advocated persistently since 2015, was also made possible through the leadership of the bill’s Primary Sponsors – Assembly members Gary Schaer, Lisa Swain, Christopher Tully, and Benjie Wimberly; and Senators Joseph Lagana, Vin Gopal, Paul Sarlo, and Steven Oroho – and numerous legislators throughout the state, including Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen Sweeney. The funding enables the schools to take concrete steps to better protect nonpublic schools against potential terror threats and attacks. The governor’s new budget proposal continues that promise to our students.
We look forward to working with Gov. Murphy and the state legislature to continue to make sure that security and other critical services at all New Jersey schools are funded fairly.
Teach NJ, a division of the Teach Coalition, was founded in 2015 to advocate for equitable government funding for New Jersey’s nonpublic schools. It has secured an additional $100 million in funding for nonpublic schools, which is used to increase security, enhance education and defray higher tuition costs. Approximately 1,000 nonpublic schools including yeshivas receive support through Teach NJ’s efforts. For more information, visit https://teachcoalition.org/nj/