New Jersey Teachers Protest Christie's Moves on School Aid

New York, NY —

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been in office for less than two months, but his approach to balance the state's books is already prompting protest. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Public school teachers with the New Jersey Education Association plan to take their grievances to Governor Christie's Morris County hometown high school tomorrow, the day before his official budget address. Local officials have been told to prepare for a thousand demonstrators. The union takes issue with Christie's holding back $475 million in local school aid to close a $1.2 billion budget gap for the current year. Christie says he carefully targeted those cuts to districts that were carrying excessive surpluses. Tuesday Christie will layout how he'll deal with next year's $11.2 billion dollar budget gap on almost a $30 billion budget. Roughly 40 percent of the state budget goes to funding public schools. Local districts are facing a possible 15 percent cut in state aide.

For WNYC, I'm Bob Hennelly.