Lonegan backs cutting court-ordered school funding

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan said yesterday that he would cut court-ordered funding to New Jersey's poorest school districts and equalize state subsidies to all districts.

"It is a noble goal to strive to provide a quality education for every student . . .," he said, "but I submit that the current [school funding] formula is a complete failure, a miserable failure not only in that it's failed to provide a quality education, but in the impact it has had on taxpayers."

Lonegan's plan would set an undetermined per-pupil state contribution limit. If wealthier districts wanted to spend more on education, they could dip into their own pockets, he said.

He also would apply a simple formula for success: If students failed basic math and English skills tests two years in a row, their parents would get vouchers so they could send their children to other schools.

But, he said, they could not go out of their towns and cities. They would have to find private, charter, or parochial schools in their hometowns. If alternative schools in their towns were unavailable or overcrowded, Lonegan said, the private sector would open schools to take care of the need.

Lonegan also has proposed replacing the state's variable-rate income tax with a 2.9 percent flat income tax that would cover more people than the current tax system does. He said yesterday that reductions in educational costs would cut property-tax bills, giving relief to senior citizens and others.

Lonegan's educational plan comes as Gov. Corzine petitions the state Supreme Court to agree to a school-funding formula that would end the controversial Abbott v. Burke case, which mandates additional funding for 31 districts, including Camden, Gloucester City, Pemberton Township, and Burlington City. About 55 percent of state aid goes to Abbott schools, which educate about 23 percent of New Jersey's students.

Lonegan's June 2 primary opponent, former U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie, has indicated he would not spend more money on education but believes education is a "moral" obligation of the government.

In a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll released yesterday, 48 percent of the respondents said property taxes were the biggest issue in the state, choosing it over 16 other issues, including the economy and crime. Thirty-eight percent said they would vote for a candidate who promised to cut property taxes, even if it was an empty election-season gimmick.

The voters are just looking for a candidate who "understands what I'm going through," said Patrick Murray, the poll's director.

Monmouth polled 690 registered voters from last Thursday to Monday. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Also in the poll, Gov. Corzine continued to suffer from low approval ratings, and respondents preferred Christie over him in a hypothetical general election, 39 percent to 35 percent. They preferred Corzine over Lonegan, 37 percent to 33 percent.