Live video of Gov Christie’s 6/28/16 school funding forum

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie hosts ‘Forum on The Fairness Formula’ today at 3:30 p.m at the Monmouth County Library in Wall, NJ. 

Governor Christie has been heavily promoting his plan that would scrap the current school funding formula that intentionally gives on a proportionate basic more money to the poorest districts. 

It’s a an approach that that was set by a 1985 state Supreme Court ruling requiring that 31 mostly poorer districts get additional aid to ensure students get a “thorough and efficient” education. 

Christie says it’s not fair for some students to get more state-aid than others. New Jersey distributes about $9.1 billion to schools, which get much of their funding from property taxes. More than $5 billion goes to the poorer school districts, with about $4 billion going to 546 remaining districts, according to Christie.

New Jersey’s approach is seen one of the nation’s most progressive approaches to school funding. 

On Tuesday, June 21, 2016., Republican Governor Christie laid out a new approach that would give districts, rich and poor, the same amount of money per student. The change would result in giving more affluent districts a boost in state-aid and less money for the poorest schools. 

Christie says because New Jersey caps property tax increases at two percent any additional state aid would trigger a property tax.

The governor gave two examples of how his school funding approach would benefit some communities. 

Let’s go to Cherry Hill.

An increase in aid in Cherry Hill of 411% and a drop in property taxes of over $1700. 

In Haddonfield, a district with a 99% graduation rate, they would see an increase in aid of 1,705% and a drop in the property taxes for the people in Haddonfield of nearly $3,600 on the average homeowner in Haddonfield.

Democrats have opposed the proposal calling it unconstitutional. 

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.