With the state’s proposed budget failing to increase much-needed funding to support nonpublic school security, Catholic school leaders and advocates across New Jersey are urging supporters to contact their legislators – particularly those serving on budget committees.
“The safety of all students in nonpublic schools – including Catholic schools – is every bit as important as the safety of students in publicly funded schools,” said Dr. Bill Watson, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Camden. “Families who send their children to Catholic school pay tuition for faith formation, high-quality instruction, excellent extracurricular activities and more. They should not have to make an even greater financial sacrifice to ensure the safety of their children, which should be a given for all children in New Jersey, no matter where they go to school.”
Earlier this year, Catholic education and diocesan leaders across the Garden State joined the New Jersey Catholic Conference to support increasing funding for nonpublic school security from $205 to $260 per pupil in the state’s next budget, which takes effect July 1. Funding was first awarded in 2016 as part of the Secure Schools for All Children Act – and reflected the importance of supporting security at both public and nonpublic schools.
“Catholic schools in the Diocese of Camden have used security funding to make critical improvements to security infrastructure, such as installing vestibules and bullet-proof coating at their entrances, upgrading visitor entrance systems, adding security cameras that are visible to local police, replacing outdated warning systems, doors and emergency lighting, and training and coordination with local law enforcement,” Watson said.
He added that the Office of Catholic Schools and each Catholic school in the Diocese regularly consult with law enforcement and rely on the expertise and input of parents to stay current in their security measures. “These upgrades are essential, but the costs of maintaining them and adding additional elements to school security plans are increasing and ongoing.”
While N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s budget address referenced protecting schoolchildren, her proposed spending plan for the next fiscal year holds funding for nonpublic school security at $205 per pupil – the same level as the past four budget cycles.
With the proposed budget now in the hands of the State Legislature, advocates encourage Catholics and supporters of Catholic education to contact their representatives in the State Senate and General Assembly. While legislators expect to hear from lobbyists and advocacy organizations, Bonnie Milecki, president of the New Jersey Council for American Private Education, emphasized that hearing from the families, educators and community members who they represent carry a lot of weight.
“When constituents share why school safety matters to them personally, it reminds policymakers that these are not abstract budget lines,” she said. “These are real children, real schools and real communities. Catholic schools are deeply rooted in their local communities, and when those communities speak with a united voice, legislators listen.”
Those whose district legislators are members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee or the Assembly Budget Committee are encouraged to contact those members to urge them to submit a budget resolution to increase nonpublic school security. Those whose representatives are not on a budget committee are asked to petition their district representatives to pass that message along to their colleagues.
The New Jersey Catholic Conference – the public-policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops – issued an Action Alert on the topic, and offers its Voter Voice System as a way to make it easier to contact one’s legislators. Visit votervoice.net/NJCC/Campaigns/137489/Respond.
This article appears courtesy of The Monitor, the Catholic magazine of the Diocese of Trenton.
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