Report: NJ Schools Not Fully Recovered from Great Recession

The Great Recession has had a lasting impact on New Jersey public education, with funding rates struggling to return to prerecession levels, according to a new analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Marshalling a treasure trove of data, Federal Reserve economists Rajashri Chakrabarti and Max Livingston demonstrate that per-pupil funding had not climbed back to 2008 levels. What's more, funding gaps for New Jersey schools are wider than they would be had they continued to grow at prerecession rates.

The report, “Still Not Out of the Woods? New Jersey Schools During the Recession and Beyond,” indicates that instructional spending was ultimately the hardest hit, citing Camden as one of the districts that suffered the most severe cuts.

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.