What Needs to Change

This is the root cause and the most important change. The state funding formula (SFRA) needs to be updated so it stops punishing towns like West Orange. Specifically:

• Cap how fast our local obligation can grow. Right now it can jump 15% in a year. It should grow no faster than the 2% tax cap. Or, if the state wants to keep raising what it expects from us, then get rid of the cap and let local Boards of Education decide what their communities can bear. They're our elected officials — let them do their jobs.
• Stop using total income to measure wealth. The formula uses aggregate income — the total of everyone's earnings — which lets a handful of high earners make a middle-class town look wealthy. Switching to median income would more accurately reflect what families can actually afford. Any change needs to be designed so it doesn't reduce funding for the communities that need it most — this isn't about taking from one group to give to another. It's about measuring accurately.
• Use multi-year averages. A single year's income spike shouldn't cause a permanent aid cut. The state began using 3-year averages for property values and income in the last two budget cycles — that was the right move, and it should be made permanent through legislation, not left to annual budget language that can disappear at any time.
• Fund special education based on real students, not estimates. The state shifted to actual enrollment counts in recent budget cycles — again, the right move, but it needs to be locked into law. Budget language is temporary. Districts can't plan around provisions that might not be there next year.

WOPE is working directly with our state legislators to advance these reforms. We're also connecting with other districts across New Jersey that face the same formula-driven problems.

We need your help. If you have experience in public policy, government relations, education law, data analysis, or nonprofit fundraising — or if you're simply willing to show up at a BOE meeting or call your legislator — we want to hear from you. Get involved →

The state formula is the biggest driver of this problem — but that doesn't mean the Board of Education has done everything it can. There are tools available that haven't been fully used, and decisions that need more community input. We support the BOE, but we also believe they need to do more:

• Use the health care cost levy adjustment to its full capacity. State law (18A:7F-3d) allows districts to raise additional revenue to cover health benefit increases. West Orange has used only a fraction of what's available. This is real money being left on the table.
• Benchmark costs against peer districts. How do our staffing ratios, salaries, and per-pupil spending compare to similar Essex County districts? The community deserves transparent data so we can have honest conversations about tradeoffs.
• Be fully transparent about where money goes. School-by-school staffing data, program cuts, and how decisions are made should be public — not just available by request.
• Involve the community in hard choices. When there's a $14–15M gap, there are going to be tradeoffs. Parents and residents should be at the table helping to set priorities — not just hearing about decisions after they're made.
• Advocate aggressively at the state level. The BOE should be leading the charge on formula reform, not waiting for parents to do it. This means direct engagement with legislators, the DOE, and the Governor's office.

While we fight for long-term formula change and push the BOE to use every tool available, there are things the community can do right now. WOPE is working to establish a nonprofit that can raise funds and direct them to the district for specific needs.

A community fund cannot and should not replace state funding or cover core staffing — that's the state's responsibility. But it can help protect the programs and resources that make our schools great:

• Enrichment programs and extracurriculars
• Arts, music, and STEM initiatives
• Technology and classroom resources
• Student support services

This is about the community making a choice: we value our schools, and we're willing to invest in them directly while we work to fix the system that's failing them.