A New Jersey school district has announced plans to likely close an award-winning elementary school, calling itself “a victim” in the state’s reduction of school funding and leaving students in tears.

In a letter to parents sent out Thursday, Cheesequake Elementary School Principal Thomas Ferry blamed the state, which found the Old Bridge school district to be over-funded. He did not mention in the letter the district’s deep dips in enrollment, which affect funding levels.

The district will receive $12 million fewer in state aid over the next five years, and school officials said without much wiggle room to increase property taxes, they have to start making cuts.

Closing Cheesequake is just the first in a series of moves to slash spending for the district, Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Hoeker said. School officials are also considering staffing cuts and relocating the district’s maintenance and property depot, she said.

Parents and students mourned the Cheesequake decision, saying it would be hard for kids to start over in a new school.

“My daughter cried for an hour last night when we informed her about this horrible news,” said Amanda Fanelli-Manna, whose second-grade daughter Tessa attends the K-5 school.

Old Bridge is among more than 150 districts in the midst of a multi-year reduction in state aid. In Old Bridge’s case, it’s the state’s attempt to make up for a decade not cutting aid, even though it was losing students.

The district’s total enrollment has dropped by nearly 13 percent over the past 15 years, a loss of more than 1,250 students. During that same time, the district’s 12 elementary schools had a loss of 780 students, or a 17 percent decrease.

In recent years, Old Bridge has received about $10 million more annually than it would have if the state had adjusted for declining enrollment and other changes, according to state data.

Meanwhile, Old Bridge has failed to generate enough local tax revenue to contribute its so-called “fair share,” the amount the district is expected to contribute to its school by the state. This year, the district will fall about $11 million short.

Though the letter home did not mention enrollment numbers, Hoeker clarified both enrollment and the state’s reallocation of funds were to blame for Cheesequake’s closing. But, she said, “We wouldn’t be pursuing this option if it wasn’t for the (lack of) state aid.”

Ferry didn’t respond to requests for comment about the letter to parents.

School officials say they have already decided to sell the Cheesequake school building because they think it will be appealing to retailers looking to buy property in the area. It is on Route 34 and is about 25 feet from the road, making it “less than ideal for school-age children” anyway, according to Ferry.

Plus, it was the district’s oldest building, making upkeep expensive. And there wasn’t enough parking. When the school hosted open-houses, they had to do it on two separate nights because parents couldn’t find a spot for their cars, Hoeker said.

The school was the first in the district to achieve National Blue Ribbon Status and earned three prestigious national awards in the past five years, according to Ferry.

“I think everyone is going to feel it,” Hoeker said.

Brick Township also faces slashes in state aid. It reportedly joined forces with other districts to sue the state Department of Education over how it applies the funding formula. Hoeker said Old Bridge hopes to reach an agreement without legally challenging the state.

In his letter, Ferry said a petition urging the governor and other legislators to restore full funding to the impacted districts is circulating online.

“We didn’t ask for the money,” Hoeker said. “(The state) gave us the money every year. We used it in programs.”

“Now they are taking it away, but they’re not giving us any way to raise more money,” she added, referring to a 2 percent cap on increasing the tax rate. “That was the shock. They approved our budget, and then took it away.”

Parents of Cheesequake students are awaiting a meeting on Monday night. There, school officials will say which school their children will attend next year. Hoeker said only Cheesequake students are impacted. The other 11 elementary schools in the district are able to absorb the extra students due to declining enrollment.

Hoeker expects that Cheesequake students will get a chance to tour their new schools before the next school year.

Yet, changes in a community, a school, and a little girl’s life can be challenging.

“The anxiety of having to make new friends and get acquainted with new teachers and staff isn’t easy,” Fanelli-Manna said.

“Teachers and staff at Cheesequake knew Tessa and her strengths and weaknesses. They took time to get to know her. I fear that going to a new school, she’ll just be another name on their roll call.”

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips.

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