State must invest in a diverse community of education
Diversity is a cornerstone of New Jersey. Some of the best food, music, festivals and art are available right here in our own backyards, thanks to the vibrant blend of ethnicities, cultures and religions that call New Jersey home.
Additionally, this diversity is responsible for creating a strong educational ecosystem made up of both public and nonpublic schools — giving our families and communities of different faiths and backgrounds options that fit their unique needs.
As leaders of some of these diverse New Jersey communities, we consider this system especially important. Representing New Jersey’s respective Islamic, Christian, Catholic and Jewish communities, we know our families often rely not only on quality nonpublic school options — with many seeking to educate their children in a faith-based environment — but also on our strong public schools.
This menu of educational offerings is a benefit not only to our families, but to our school system overall. With our public school system often coping with great demand, nonpublic schools help free up resources and seats. Furthermore, parents from nonpublic schools contribute to public school funding by paying their state and local taxes without taking a seat. When working together, nonpublic and public schools allow our education system — and our children — to thrive.
In recent years, however, rising costs and budget cuts have caused strain on many of our schools, in turn stressing our families and communities. We have seen this in the over 150 nonpublic schools that have closed in New Jersey in the last decade, and the millions of dollars currently on the line for the state’s public schools.
New Jersey’s school funding formula is used to determine how much state aid a district can get. This year, however, more than 100 districts are facing cuts in the funding provided by the state under a new proposal.
The stakes here are high for both the state and our families. If we don’t find a better way to consistently support all of our schools, we risk losing jobs from school cuts and closures and the billions in economic output that nonpublic schools provide, and, most important, New Jersey becomes a less diverse educational ecosystem.
Thankfully, there is already action being taken, with bills currently on the table that would help mitigate this issue for our public schools. The hope, when these are voted on later this month, is that a combination of the bills would cover the cuts currently facing our public schools.
We need New Jersey’s schools to reflect their promise of diversity, to serve all of our families and to support all of our children. The passage of these bills would bring us one step closer to ensuring that future. It is essential that we reinforce our community of education — our network of public and nonpublic schools — so that every child can thrive, regardless of their background or unique educational needs.
Sufia Azmat is executive director of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America. Rabbi Pinchas Shapiro is executive vice president of the Jewish Educational Center in Elizabeth. Jameka Walker is executive director of the Catholic Partnership Schools in Camden.