one of the state's most financially troubled school districts could see a boost of state aid in its future and appellate court on Monday ruled that Lakewood Public Schools don't receive adequate State funding to give students a thorough and efficient education now the decision reverses a 2021 finding by the state education commissioner and orders the department to find a way to improve the district's funding Lakewood is a fast-growing Community with a large Orthodox Jewish population according to the court ruling 84 percent of the town's school-aged kids are enrolled in private religious schools the court says the district is quote severely strained by obligations to provide both transportation and special education for those thousands of non-public school students Monday's decision revives a nearly decade old case brought by Lakewood Public School parents claiming that 2008 school funding Reform Act was unconstitutional when applied to Lakewood because it didn't take into account all those outside costs [Music]