We are writing to urge you to propose new legislation to change the state regulated formula, in the calculation of tuition for sending school districts.  Currently state aid (free money) spent in a school, can be included in the tuition charged to sending districts.  Sending districts, with a limited say in how funds are spent, can be saddled with huge tuition costs and increases.  If a receiving district benefits from state aid, a sending district should benefit equally.  As it is right now, a sending district is actually penalized thru higher tuition costs.

Nowhere is this this travesty of justice more evident than in the Ventnor/Atlantic City, sending/receiving school relationship.  Atlantic City is a receiving district for Ventnor and a benefactor of a huge state aid award.  The money comes with the expectation it’s spent, and it is!  When these funds are used at the high school, Atlantic City can then charge Ventnor for the free money they received from the state.  Furthermore, Atlantic City gets to spend this free money twice; once when received from the state and again when Ventnor pays tuition.  This creates an unfair financial burden on Ventnor’s School Budget and their taxpayers. 

To meet skyrocketing tuition costs, Ventnor must make budgetary cuts elsewhere in the school budget and taxes must be increased to meet tuition obligations. This year Ventnor saw a $2300.00 increase in tuition at the high school.  This coupled with the state certified tuition adjustment created more than a million dollar swing in the 20/21 school year budget. In fact, because of increases in state aid and declining enrollment, Ventnor’s tuition went from $16,700.00 in 18/19 to $22,700.00 in the 20/21 budget.  That’s a $6,000.00 increase, per student, in 3 years!  For a fiscally responsible district that runs a lean budget, this formula is devastating! 

I urge you to change the law to remove state aid spending from a receiving district’s tuition calculation.   Thank you