Cantrell appointed to Governor’s School Funding Task Force

Trenton, NJ – Taking steps to ensure a common sense approach to New Jersey’s system of education funding and to root out abuse and fraud, Acting Governor Kim Guadagno today named seven representatives from the public and private sectors as members of the New Jersey Education Funding Task Force. Created by Executive Order in March, the Task Force will evaluate the effectiveness of the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program as a proxy for measuring “at risk” students and, more broadly, make recommendations to address areas of the school funding formula that may be subject to manipulation, fraud, or distortion, including municipal tax abatement programs.

“I thank these qualified individuals for taking on this challenge and working on an issue that is critical to improving education for children in every part of our state,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “The Education Funding Task Force will evaluate the use of the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch Program as a measure for ‘at-risk’ students, explore the viability of alternative measures, and generally provide recommendations to address aspects of the school funding formula that are susceptible to fraud and abuse. By finally taking a look at these critical issues, we will ensure that education dollars are distributed in a fairer and more equitable manner for every child in New Jersey.”

The New Jersey Education Funding Task Force will be chaired by Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks (Fair Haven, Monmouth), who previously served as Acting Commissioner of Education and will include: Common Sense Institute of New Jersey President and former Randolph Board of Education President Jerry W. Cantrell (Randolph, Morris); Former Paterson Public Schools Director of Early Childhood Education Anna Lugo DeMolli, Ed.D. (Little Falls, Passaic); Fort Lee Public Schools Interim Superintendent Steven Engravalle (Howell, Monmouth); Stern & Kilcullen Partner John P. Inglesino, Esq. (Rockaway, Morris); St. Benedict’s Prep Headmaster and Essex County Vocational and Technical Schools Board President Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. (Newark, Essex); and Former Absecon City Councilmember Charles Urban (Absecon, Atlantic).

Continue reading on the Governor’s website…