Secured $52 million in state facilities aid for New Jersey charter schools over five consecutive budgets, providing the first-ever state support for critical repairs and upgrades.
Client Profile: Public Charter School Advocates:
River Crossing partnered with leading charter advocates including the NJ Public Charter Schools Association, NJ Children’s Foundation, JerseyCAN, and Camden Education Fund.
Problem: Public Charter Schools Shut Out of State Facilities Aid
- LONGSTANDING INEQUITY: For over two decades, New Jersey public charters received no state facilities funding. In contrast, since FY2000, the State provided over $20 billion to school districts for school construction and facilities costs.
- DEFERRED REPAIRS: Lack of facilities funding forced charters to defer repairs, resulting in more costly facilities issues over time.
- DIMINISHED INSTRUCTIONAL FUNDS: Lack of facilities funding forced charters schools to cover urgent repairs out of operating budgets or private fundraising. This diminished funding for instructional spending and student support services.
Strategy: Reframe Message for Opportune Political Window
- Recognize Opportunity: Heightened pandemic sensitivity around ventilation and student health as students returned to schools created a new political window.
- Tailor Message: Framed facilities funding as public health issues as well as an educational equity issues for ALL public school students – charter or district.
- Develop Easy Proposal: Created easily implemented policy proposal informed by research in other states.
- Build Support: Built legislative and Administrative support through targeted political outreach, earned and unearned media, and parent and school engagement. Started with a few sponsors and by FY26, expanded to 14 budget resolution sponsors.
