Catholics asked to petition state legislators for nonpublic school transportation, nursing funding

With Gov. Murphy’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 now in the hands of the state legislature, the New Jersey Catholic Conference is asking voters to voice their concerns that their elected representatives include budget resolutions for transportation and nursing services, with an emphasis on funding increases.

“We appreciate your consideration of these two serious issues (on behalf of) parents who seek to provide the educational option that is best for their children,” said Dr. George V. Corwell, treasurer for the New Jersey Council for American Private Education, in his March 20 testimony to the Assembly Budget Committee.

The NJCC, the public policy arm of the Bishops of New Jersey, 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 school nurse candidates. For busing, the NJCC maintains 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 pointed out. “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 school nurses, Dr. Corwell said they are “a first responder with respect to any emergency in a school, not limited to such things as active shooters, natural disasters, etc. … 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 https://njcatholic.org/faith-in-action and filling out the action form. (Talking points are available there.) To read Dr. Corwell’s full testimony, visit https://njcatholic.org/town-square and click on the April 2024 Town Square Newsletter.

EmmaLee Italia is a contributing editor for The Monitor, Diocese of Trenton.