New Jersey Catholic Conference
149 North Warren Street · Trenton,
New Jersey 08608
(609) 989-1120 · Fax (609) 989-1152
Patrick
R. Brannigan
Executive
Director
March
21, 2007
A C T
I O N A L
E R T
NONPUBLIC SCHOOL BUSSING FOR 2007 – 2008
ISSUE: On page D-117
of the Governor’s Budget for FY’08, the amount of the ceiling for nonpublic
school transportation is frozen at the 2006 – 2007 figure ($826.00). This
language nullifies the effects of the legislation passed in 2001 by which
nonpublic school transportation is to increase or decrease based on the higher
of two factors: The increase of state
aid for school transportation in the public school transportation account or
the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI figure for this year is 3.99%.
OUR
POSITION: The
New Jersey Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Network for Catholic School
Families have consistently supported increases in the ceiling for nonpublic
school transportation because of a variety of factors. The number of eligible nonpublic school students
statewide who are receiving aid-in-lieu payments instead of transportation is
still growing (up to 44.1% of the eligible population last year). Please see the enclosed Fact Sheet
for additional information with respect to the details of this issue.
ACTION: The
Appropriations Act which will be the
Legislature’s response to the Governor’s Budget will not be passed until
mid-June at the earliest. Therefore, it
is necessary for all parents and supporters to contact appropriate members of
the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations
Committee in order to determine membership on these Committees. In order for the CPI increase of 3.99% to
take effect, the necessary action is that the Appropriations Act must not
contain the language currently on page D-117 of the Governor’s Budget (you may
see this language for yourself by examining the Department of Education section
of the Governor’s Budget on the Department of Treasury’s website).
Please
call, E-mail, or fax your support for the removal of this language to the
members of the Senate
Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly
Appropriations Committee. Additionally, even though you may live in a
district where your legislators are not members of either Committee, please
make your feelings known to them, and ask that they relay your concerns to
their colleagues on the respective Budget Committees.
Remember
that this is not a one-time contact, but the request should continue until the
Appropriations Act is drafted (tentatively in mid-June to meet the deadline of
a balanced State Budget by July 1).
Thank
you for your immediate cooperation with this request.
Representing the Archdiocese of
Newark, Diocese of Camden, Diocese of Metuchen,
Diocese of
Our Lady of Deliverance
Syriac Catholic Diocese