UPDATED: Bernards State Aid Expected to Nearly Double

State aid for the is expected to nearly double for the 2011-12 school year, according to figures released Wednesday by the governor's office.

Under Gov. Chris Christie's budget, Bernards schools will receive $1,625,312 next year—an increase of $777,421 from this year's allotment of $847,891.

"We don't know if this is a one-time bump and we don't know how we are going to allot the funds," School Board President Susan Carlsson said. "That will be a decision to be made by the full board."

She added that, although the amount  is almost double what the district received last year, "it is still way below what we received two years ago."

Christie promised in his budget address Tuesday every district in the state would see an aid increase—part of a $250 million boost to education aid overall. In Somerset County alone, schools would see an overall increase of nearly $9 million.

"Last year, our state faced severe fiscal challenges, and we had to make some very difficult choices.  Reductions to education funding were among the most agonizing of those choices," Christie said in a statement Wednesday. 

“Because of the foundation we set in last year's budget, and our responsible management of the state's finances, New Jersey is on firmer footing and we are able to put more funding into classrooms throughout New Jersey. However, more money on its own will not fix our education system. We must continue to vigorously pursue education reforms to fundamentally change public education, focused on achieving results for children, rewarding excellence in the classroom and demanding accountability throughout the system.”

The proposed state aid for Somerset County schools is as follows:

2011-12 TOTAL AID