State Senate Candidate Steve Dnistrian, and Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno & Kim Eulner are denouncing the Senate Democrats’ plan to only partially restore the massive cuts to Monmouth County’s 11th Legislative District school funding proposed by Governor Murphy in his 2024 budget. In yesterday’s legislative session, while the State Senate voted on a bill introduced by Democrat Vin Gopal that restores only 62% percent of the $16.7 million in cuts proposed for the District 11 schools in 2024, Senate Republicans presented a plan to ensure full and complete funding of our schools. The Senate Democrats squashed the Republican plan, with Gopal failing to support full restoration of this critical school funding. Instead of supporting the plan to make Monmouth County schools whole, Gopal did nothing, and turned his back on Monmouth County families and children.

“The Senator has failed Monmouth County’s children once again, largely because he remains more loyal to Phil Murphy and his disastrous policies than he does to his own constituents across this district,”” said Steve Dnistrian, LD-11 Candidate for State Senate. “When it comes time to do the right thing for the 11th District and our students, Gopal instead consistently demonstrates his loyalty to Murphy, not our schools. He can try to run from the fact that he voted for this disastrous school funding formula that has short changed our children over each of the last five years, but he can’t hide from the nearly $89 million he slashed from District 11 school budgets over the course of just 6 years in school districts like Asbury Park, Eatontown, Freehold Regional, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Colts Neck and Tinton Falls.”

In 2018, Gopal voted ‘yes’ for Senate Bill S-2, or Governor Murphy’s school funding formula, which has resulted in $88.7 million dollars being cut from Monmouth County District 11 schools since that time. These cuts have resulted in the elimination of teachers, staff and programs, and an increase in property taxes across the district.

“It’s mind boggling that Gopal, as an LD-11 representative, and the Senate Education Chair, votes ‘yes’ every year to defund our schools in District 11,” said Assemblywoman Marilyn Piperno. “Then when called out on his poor policy, he scrambles to find insulting chump change in his election year as a too little, too late fix. It is typical Trenton political gamesmanship. Our team would never play politics with our children’s futures.”

“We have a plan to fully fund our schools, restore lost funding and lower property taxes,” said Assemblywoman Kim Eulner. “With Steve as our partner in the State Senate, Gopal’s political malpractice will end, our schools will see immediate funding restoration, and our property taxpayers will see meaningful relief.”

Steve Dnistirian is the Republican Candidate for State Senate in Legislative District 11. Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner are Republican representatives for Legislative District 11 in the General Assembly.

This is a press release.