NEW YORK, NY December 29, 2007 —With just a few days left before the end of New Jersey's current legislative session, Governor Corzine is still optimistic he can win approval for his school funding reform plan. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has this update.

REPORTER: Governor Corzine's plan to re-invent how the state funds local public education got an important thumbs-up from the powerful New Jersey Education Association that represent the state's teachers.

For years, the state was strictly guided by court decisions that mandated the state emphasize spending in the state's poorest school districts. Corzine's plan would spend a half billion more but spread the state aid out to follow the neediest students whether or not they happen to live in the so called Abbott Districts.

New Jersey contributes only 37 percent to local education, well below the 50 percent national average. That leaves Garden State property tax payers to pick up close to 60 percent of the local school bill.

For WNYC I'm Bob Hennelly