TRENTON – With Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 now in the hands of the state Legislature, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is asking residents to urge their representatives to include budget resolutions for transportation and nursing services – particularly the dire need of funding increases.
“We appreciate your consideration of these two serious issues that will assist us in providing quality education to parents who seek to provide the educational option that is best for their children,” Dr. George V. Corwell, treasurer for the New Jersey Council for American Private Education, said in testimony last month to the Assembly Budget Committee.
The NJCC, the public policy arm of New Jersey’s Catholic Bishops, has asked that funding be increased to allow for a full-time nurse in every nonpublic school – an increase to $160 per pupil, to reflect the difficulty for nonpublic schools to attract nursing candidates. For busing, the organization has determined that the per-pupil budget ceiling must be increased to $1,233 per pupil, an increase of 5.81%, which coincides with student transportation contract renewal increases for the 2024-2025 academic year.
“As taxpayers, the parents of 89,065 students who qualify for transportation services deserve the right to have their child safely and efficiently transported to school,” Dr. Corwell said. “Transportation is the lifeblood of nonpublic schools, and to lose significant amounts of transportation affects the enrollment of nonpublic schools, even causing possible school closures. Over 85% of nonpublic routes are operated by private contractors, who charge parents exorbitant rates beyond the established ceiling.”
As for nurses, Dr. Corwell noted how they are “a first responder with respect to any emergency in a school. With the lack of availability of nurses, many times funding goes back to the state because we cannot find qualified candidates willing to work for the hourly rate for nurses in the program charged by districts and third-party contractors.”
Concerned citizens can send a message to their legislators by visiting njcatholic.org/faith-in-action and filling out the action form, and read the talking points linked there. To read Dr. Corwell’s full testimony, visit njcatholic.org/town-square and click on the April 2024 Town Square Newsletter.
EmmaLee Italia is a contributing editor with The Monitor, the magazine for the Diocese of Trenton.
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