Chalkbeat

Newark’s chronic absenteeism rate drops to 8.5%. Here’s what district leaders say is working.

2026-08-28T01:12:51+00:00

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Newark Public Schools’ chronic absenteeism rate hit a historic low for the 2025-26 school year, dropping to 8.5%. District leaders said on Thursday that it’s also the sharpest turnaround seen in a few years.

New Jersey’s largest school district had a decrease in chronic absenteeism from 27% in the 2018-19 school year to 10% in the 2024-25 school year, per state data. Rates improved across all student populations, with Black students and students with disabilities seeing the largest improvements, according to Rochanda Jackson, executive director of the district’s Office of Data and Research, who presented the attendance data during Thursday’s board meeting.

The improvement puts Newark ahead of the state, although the New Jersey Department of Education has not yet released chronic absenteeism rates for last school year. In the 2024-25 school year, the state’s chronic absenteeism rate was 14.4%, according to school performance reports.

During Thursday’s meeting, Co-vice President Vereliz Santana said the improved rate is ”incredible,” given that under state operation, the district was at risk of being placed on a corrective action plan because of dismal chronic absenteeism rates. During the 2016-17 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate was 29.7%, per school performance reports.

“We have demonstrated great improvements,” Superintendent Roger León said about attendance and graduation rates and other student achievement data presented on Thursday.

The numbers mark a stretch of steady improvement in Newark’s chronic absenteeism rate even as school districts across the country continue to recover post-pandemic.

León told board members at their annual retreat meeting over the weekend that a change in how New Jersey calculates chronic absenteeism helped boost those rates. Jackson, who presented Thursday’s attendance data, said the district changed the way it calculates chronic absenteeism rates to align with the state’s new rule on how it counts chronically absent students. It’s unclear how much the change influenced Newark’s rates. Per the new state rule, students need to be enrolled for at least 90 days out of 180 to be included in the count, up from 45 days.

“We did extraordinarily well this past year simply because the state of New Jersey actually changed the rules to assist more school districts in their chronic absenteeism rates, at least that is from our perspective,” said León during the August school board retreat.

Advocates for Children of New Jersey, a nonprofit that works with state and local leaders to implement education policy, says the state usually flags when a rule change affects how attendance data is compared year over year. Chronic absenteeism, defined by New Jersey as missing 10% or more of the school year.

León pointed to the gains in chronic absenteeism as a sign that his strategies are working during a Wednesday presentation of the 2026 Newark Kids Count report from Advocates for Children of New Jersey. Since 2018, when León was appointed to his role, the district has revived the attendance department previously closed during state operation, created individualized intervention plans for at-risk students, established a truancy task force, and distributed district-wide attendance updates.

The district continues to use a back-to-school campaign called “Give Me Five,” requiring district employees to call families of five students to urge them to show up for the first day of classes, León said Wednesday. The district also has launched incentive programs offering gift cards and hockey tickets to high school students who improve their attendance.

The Kids Count report, released this week, also found that homeless students were chronically absent at a rate of 25% in the 2024-25 school year, more than double the district’s 8.5% rate in the 2025-26 school year, even as León touted progress. In the 2023-24 school year, 26.4% of homeless students were chronically absent, per state school performance data.

León on Wednesday added that he’s working with the city’s reengagement center to support students who face barriers in getting back to school. The center provides local services such as school placements, access to academic enrichment programs, and modified instruction.

The district also tracks attendance through dashboards divided by school, class, grade, and individual student. Those reports are sent to district and school leaders.

Lauren Meehan, executive director of Arts Ed Newark, said during Wednesday’s Kids Count presentation that the district’s efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism correlate with its efforts to expand access to arts education.

“We know that when students have something creative to do, something exciting to do, that helps motivate them to be in that building every day,” Meehan said.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey invests record money in preschool, but serving multilingual learners is another story

2026-06-23T11:00:00+00:00

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Peter Rosario has spent years watching his teachers help Spanish-speaking preschoolers sound out English words at La Casa de Don Pedro, a Newark-based nonprofit organization that offers support for immigrant families and contracts with Newark Public Schools to provide state-funded preschool.

But Rosario says the state’s investment in programs like his hasn’t turned into clear and consistent support for the city’s youngest English learners.

“We have to beef up the infrastructure to support them,” Rosario said.

For young students learning English, the early years matter more than any other. Research shows that young multilingual learners who start preschool without having learned English can lose months of learning before they catch up unless classes are designed to teach in multiple languages at once. But while state laws mandate that New Jersey districts provide language support services to students, those services are implemented differently from district to district, with no real way to track their impact on preschool-aged multilingual learners.

Experts say that’s a problem requiring a more targeted approach to boost the quality of instruction, fund programs, and determine what students actually need to learn English.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed a record $1.4 billion for preschool education this budget cycle, which would add more than 1,440 additional seats to the state’s preschool program. But it wasn’t until 2023 that New Jersey formally updated its codes to include preschoolers as multilingual learners. Before that, identification and language support policies primarily focused on K-12 students.

State leaders say they’re working to boost preschool offerings for young multilingual learners. Michael Yaple, spokesperson for the education department, said the state is revising the Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards to better align with the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts. Yaple did not provide specifics about what those changes would do but said in an email that the proposed revisions will “provide stronger, more intentional support for preschool multilingual learners by integrating evidence-based literacy practices with language development.”

But as the number of multilingual learners grows nationally, so does the demand for more services. In New Jersey, 282,000, or 47%, of young children ages 0 to 5, are multilingual learners, according to the Migration Policy Institute. In the 2025-26 school year, more than 11,300 students enrolled in preschool were identified as multilingual learners, according to state enrollment data. Across the state, multilingual learners made up more than 152,000 pre-K through 12th grade students enrolled in New Jersey’s public schools in the same year.

New Jersey is among the states with the strongest preschool policies for multilingual learners, earning eight out of 10 benchmarks measuring things like bilingual instruction, teacher qualifications, and family engagement, according to a 2026 policy brief from the National Institute for Early Education Research, or NIEER.

But the state isn’t tracking support for its youngest English learners, according to NIEER experts. While the 2023 state preschool update required districts to identify preschool-aged multilingual learners, the state has no way to verify whether that support is reaching students.

That’s a concern Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, a bilingual early childhood education senior policy specialist at the NIEER, raised during a June 10 conversation about the state of bilingual education in New Jersey, hosted by the Rutgers University Newark Joseph C. Cornwall Center.

According to Figueras-Daniel and other researchers, knowing how many multilingual children are enrolled in preschool and what type of support they are actually receiving is critical to closing language gaps before they become reading gaps and ensuring students are getting what they need before moving to kindergarten.

The state needs better data on programs that provide bilingual preschool programs to immigrant families through contracts with the local school district, such as Rosario’s, to understand where support for multilingual learners is reaching classrooms and where it isn’t, Figueras-Daniel said.

“I think we need ways to identify where implementation is strong, where gaps exist, and then where we can really put targeted supports in places,” Figueras-Daniel said.

The gap between policy and data shows up in classrooms too, said Vanessa Colon, a bilingual intervention teacher and community support advocate for multilingual learners who also spoke on the panel.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of disagreement between what we say and what we do in a district,” said Colon during the panel discussion. “We’ll say we support bilingualism, we support biliteracy, but then in the classroom, we make other choices.”

Those choices aren’t for a lack of standards, Figueras-Daniel said, but for a lack of consistency in how districts apply them.

“It could be that every district is calling their program or implementing it slightly differently,” she added.

Programs labeled “bilingual” are what researchers call transitional bilingual, which uses a student’s native language as a bridge into English, Figueras-Daniel said. She described one district where multilingual learners receive 30 or 40 minutes of English as a second language instruction a day, but students are having trouble exiting the multilingual status. That model is different from full-immersion programs that teach subjects like social studies and math in both languages throughout the school day.

A true language immersion program is built around a roughly even split between native English speakers and native speakers of other languages, but in heavily immigrant communities like Passaic, Figueras-Daniel said, there often aren’t enough native English-speaking students to make that balance possible.

Betiana Caprioli, a Morristown High School teacher who also participated on the Rutgers panel, said El Primer Paso, a similar organization with a bilingual preschool program in Dover, helped her own children learn English. That model is the “gold standard” that allows multilingual learners not to lose instructional time while they’re still figuring out English, Figueras-Daniel said.

“Access to high-quality preschool is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes for children learning multiple languages,” she said. That’s why it’s “critical that we continually recognize early childhood programs as part of this system.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Half of teacher preparation programs align with the science of reading, report finds

2026-06-09T04:01:28+00:00

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Slightly more than half of teacher preparation programs use scientifically grounded methods to teach aspiring educators how to teach children to read, according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality.

That’s both good news and bad news.

Three years ago, when NCTQ last surveyed teacher preparation programs, only a quarter of them were fully aligned with the science of reading. So the number of programs giving new teachers a strong foundation in best practices to teach reading has doubled.

But that still leaves hundreds of teacher prep programs that are not aligned with the science of reading, according to the report released Tuesday. Hundreds of other programs declined to participate in the review. Of those that did participate, about 1 in 5 programs earned an F rating, meaning they teach multiple outdated or disproven practices. Even generally strong programs often devote very little time to supporting English learners, struggling readers, and students with disabilities, the report found.

Many teacher prep programs continue to teach outdated methods even as states and school districts invest millions of dollars in retraining teachers already in the classroom.

“This is a form of educational malpractice against new teachers and the students they will serve,” NCTQ President Heather Peske said.

The findings suggest one possible reason that science of reading policies, now on the books in all but a handful of states, have not made as big an impact on reading scores as advocates had hoped.

The recently released Education Scorecard found that students are in a sort of “reading recession,” with test scores persistently down over the last decade. That analysis found that states where reading scores had improved, such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana, had adopted science of reading policies. But it also found that many more states with similar policies in the books had not made equivalent progress.

Foreshadowing NCTQ’s findings, a survey released earlier this spring by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a center-right education think tank, and the RAND Corporation, a research organization, similarly found that many teachers, especially those in high-poverty schools, continued to use outdated methods, such as asking students to guess at words using context.

Teachers who relied on their pre-service training were more likely to use such methods than those who had received on-the-job training, the Fordham report found.

Peske said states are in a strong position to exert leverage on teacher preparation programs through program accreditation and the teacher licensure process, but many states aren’t using that authority.

“If states do not include teacher preparation programs as part of a comprehensive approach to improving teacher capacity and student outcomes, they are missing the boat on a huge impact point,” she said.

States should set high standards for their teacher preparation programs and also provide support to help programs improve, Peske said.

NCTQ reviewed more than 700 teacher preparation programs by looking at course catalogs, syllabi, textbooks and other class materials, and then scored them using a standardized rubric. Critics of NCTQ have long said this method paints an incomplete picture and fails to account for the full range of work that happens within teacher prep programs.

Half of NY teacher prep programs fail in reading instruction: report

NCTQ said program administrators had an opportunity to review their rating and correct information before the report was published.

More than 460 programs declined to participate, including 72% of teacher preparation programs in Illinois, 57% of programs in New York, and 58% of programs in New Jersey — all states that have ostensibly made improving literacy a priority.

Paula White, the executive director of JerseyCAN, a statewide education advocacy group, said ensuring students can read is a matter of accountability that starts with evaluating teacher preparation programs and ensuring that teachers are ready once they enter the classroom.

“We are accountable to our students, and what that should look like is that our teacher candidates are ready for prime time on day one in the classroom, instead of ramping up with the first cohort of students that they teach,” White said.

Of the 13 teacher preparation programs in New Jersey that participated in NCTQ’s report, the picture is bleak. Only The College of New Jersey’s undergraduate program earned an A grade. Seven programs earned an F, three earned a D, and two earned a C.

NCTQ tried to use publicly available information to assess programs that didn’t participate in the review, and found they often used textbooks and other materials also found in poorly rated programs.

NCTQ highlighted the work done in Mississippi, Colorado, and Indiana to improve teacher preparation as models for other states.

Improving teacher training was a central part of the reforms that contributed to the so-called “Mississippi Miracle.” In this year’s NCTQ review, 9 out of 10 programs earned an A or B rating.

Colorado used its accreditation process to pressure programs to overhaul their approach to reading instruction starting in 2019. This year, all 17 of the state’s programs earned an A or B rating.

Indiana leaned on a $25 million initiative from the Lilly Foundation to help its teacher colleges overhaul their programs after the state passed a new literacy framework in 2023. (The Lilly Foundation is a funder of Chalkbeat. See our funders here and read our ethics policy here.) This year, 24 of 25 Indiana programs earned an A rating.

Chalkbeat reporter Jessie Gómez contributed reporting.

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

NJ Supreme Court won’t weigh in yet on school segregation case

2026-05-12T17:37:52+00:00

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This story was first published by the New Jersey Monitor.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to fast-track an eight-year-old lawsuit that alleges the state’s schools are unconstitutionally segregated by race, deciding that the case must first be heard by an appellate court before the high court can get involved.

Latino Action Network, a plaintiff in the case, had asked for the Supreme Court to step in “so that justice will not further be delayed — and thereby denied,” but court officials announced Monday that the justices decided not to weigh in yet. Lawrence Lustberg, attorney for Latino Action Network, said the plaintiffs are disappointed “given that it is such an important case and that any delay hurts New Jersey’s children.”

“We will continue our pursuit of justice in the Appellate Division, and are confident in the merits of our case,” Lustberg said.

Latino Action Network and the other plaintiffs — a group of parents and advocacy groups — filed the lawsuit against the state in May 2018. They claim that the state’s public school system is segregated along racial and socioeconomic lines, which violates the New Jersey Constitution requirement that students receive a “thorough and efficient education.”

In New Jersey, students typically attend schools in the districts where they live, which the plaintiffs argue has led to de facto segregation. They cite a University of California at Los Angeles study that found New Jersey has consistently ranked as one of the most segregated school systems in the nation.

The case has slowly wound through the court system. In October 2023, a trial court judge agreed with plaintiffs that there was a “marked and persistent racial imbalance” in New Jersey schools but said the plaintiffs failed to prove the state’s school system as a whole is unconstitutionally segregated.

The parties then entered a mediation process, which ran from late 2023 to early 2025 and failed to lead to any agreement or settlement.

Last year, an appellate court agreed to hear the plaintiffs’ case but a hearing has yet to be scheduled.

The Sherrill administration opposed the plaintiffs’ move to ask the Supreme Court to step in, saying they have “so far failed to present any administrable, constitutional remedy.”

Teach For America New Jersey urges Newark leaders to work together to help students read on grade level

2026-05-04T10:00:00+00:00

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Mark Comesañas recalled a former student, Jose, who arrived at adulthood without a critical skill needed to navigate life: At 19, he couldn’t read a Dr. Seuss book.

“The options he has at 19 are slim,” said Comesañas, the executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Newark, during a panel last Thursday at Teach For America New Jersey’s inaugural One Day Breakfast event, which convened Newark leaders to talk about low literacy rates and solutions.

That story resonated with the policymakers and education leaders in the room, who are confronting a crisis impacting not only Newark but the nation. Too many students are not reading at grade level, and they are reaching adulthood without ever learning to read well.

Test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, from 2024 show that most students in the United States are still performing below pre-pandemic levels in reading and math, while the gap between high-achieving students and low-performing students keeps widening.

Last spring, only 34% of Newark Public Schools’ students in grades 3-9 passed the state’s English Language Arts test, and although those numbers lag behind statewide averages, they are a slight improvement from levels seen right after the pandemic. Across New Jersey, 53% of students passed the statewide English Language Arts test in 2025.

Teach for America New Jersey organized last week’s event to spread a call to action to ensure every child can read on grade level. The event addressed the history of reading in New Jersey and local challenges such as the barriers in Black and Latino communities that prevent students from boosting their literacy skills. The organization is also hosting a similar event in Camden in May.

“We have to get local and we have to stop trying to scapegoat,” Tahina Perez, the executive director of Teach for America New Jersey, told Chalkbeat on a call last Wednesday.

Perez said she saw the literacy issue coming years before the pandemic, as far back as 2018. At that time, Perez and her team were tracking the number of Black and Latino students, particularly those in low-income communities, who were falling behind in reading. Last week’s event was meant to continue local collaboration to find ways to address the problem in Newark.

“When children are confident and independent readers, communities grow stronger, democracy works better, and opportunity expands,” Perez said at the event last week. “And when we get this wrong, the consequences last a lifetime.”

Tahina Perez, executive director of Teach for America New Jersey, speaks with My Brother’s Keeper executive director Mark Comesañas, JerseyCAN executive director Paula White, and New Jersey Institute for Social Justice president and CEO Ryan Haygood about literacy challenges on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Newark’s literacy crisis did not happen overnight. Remote learning during the pandemic caused students to miss critical classroom time, and in the city, Newark Public Schools, along with state and local leaders, are working to help students get back on track.

Research shows that reading skills play a key role in a child’s likelihood of graduating high school, pursuing college, and ultimately a career. Experts say a student’s literacy levels in third grade predict what their skills will be in the eighth grade and beyond.

Newark’s low reading rates have also drawn attention in Trenton, where New Jersey’s Republican lawmakers have questioned why literacy rates are so low. Assemblyman Alex Sauickie has called for more transparency about how Newark Public Schools is using its money to help students refine their reading and recently questioned district leadership.

“This isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a moral one,” said Sauickie in a statement. “Taxpayers deserve complete transparency on where this money is going and why it is producing such poor academic outcomes.“

Yet in New Jersey, the systems meant to catch up students struggling to read are inconsistent, Paula White, executive director of JerseyCAN, a literacy advocacy group, told Chalkbeat. The state’s recently passed literacy framework mandates universal literacy screeners across all of New Jersey’s more than 500 school districts, but doesn’t require a specific screener or high-quality instructional materials. Similarly, literacy coaching is unevenly distributed, White said.

“You’re going to have some school districts that are in fantastic shape,” White added. “And then you’ll have a third that are just, quite frankly, rudderless.”

Perez also pointed to the larger systemic problems impacting Newark’s reading rates that she says aren’t just a “school problem, or a parent problem, or a student problem.”

“If we believe that education is a fundamental right from the moment you step foot on the soil, then we need to be thinking about the systems and the structures at play that prevent this from being true,” Perez added.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

‘It’s enough already’: Newark lawmaker pushes back on GOP scrutiny

2026-04-16T13:25:57+00:00

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New Jersey’s fiercest budget debate this year is over education spending — and Newark is at the center of the conversation.

At a heated state Assembly budget hearing on Wednesday, Republican lawmakers’ questioning returned repeatedly to the state’s largest school district. Statewide, Republicans have taken issue with Newark’s spending on everything from an AI surveillance system to COVID relief funds for tutoring, and a controversial lease for a new elementary school.

GOP Assemblymember Gerry Scharfenberger, who represents Monmouth County, said at Wednesday’s hearing “we need way better accountability,” and audits that run through budgets with a “fine-toothed comb” for urban districts like Newark. Assemblymember Al Barlas, who represents parts of Bergen, Essex, and Passaic counties, said for the millions being spent in Newark, “we should all be offended by the fact that these kids are not graduating and are not reading” at grade level.

Republican lawmakers have targeted Newark and other urban school districts partially in response to state funding cuts that have hit suburban schools particularly hard.

But Assembly Budget Chair Eliana Pintor Marin, who represents Newark and served on the city’s Public Schools Advisory Board, said the focus on Newark is reductive and pits school districts against each other rather than aiming at the real issue — reforming a school funding formula that lawmakers agree isn’t working for everyone.

“I’m just tired of it,” Pintor Marin said Wednesday of the outsized attention paid to Newark schools by lawmakers who don’t represent the city. “It’s enough already.”

Pintor Marin said Newark is still recovering from the deep school funding cuts enacted under former Republican Gov. Chris Christie. The district has gone through state control, been federally audited for spending COVID relief funds, and has had a state monitor in place through the district’s transition back to local control.

In short, Pintor Marin said, Republicans’ calls for more state and federal oversight of Newark schools are “ridiculous.”

She noted the way the state funds education is tied directly to the number of students enrolled in each district and the cost to educate them. Newark’s enrollment is up, she said, and it educates a greater population of English learners and those with disabilities so state funding should increase accordingly.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s proposed budget includes two new state Department of Education positions specifically for oversight and accountability of school districts, state Education Commissioner Lily Laux said at the hearing.

Assemblymember Alexander “Avi” Schnall, who represents parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties, pointed to the Lakewood School District’s multiple state monitors as evidence that increased state oversight does not equate to improvement.

Over the last 12 years, Schnall said Lakewood has had 11 state-appointed monitors, with four currently stationed in the district.

Those monitors “have not made much of a difference,” he said. “If anything the fiscal deficit has grown by a lot.”

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey Republicans demand federal and state reviews of ‘fiscal failures’ in Newark Public Schools

2026-04-08T10:00:01+00:00

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Six years after New Jersey handed control of Newark Public Schools back to the community, a group of 20 Republican lawmakers is pressing federal and state officials for more oversight of how the district handles money.

The state’s largest school district is under scrutiny after it announced plans last month to enter into a $498 million, 30-year lease agreement to open a new elementary school in the city’s East Ward, Newark’s most densely populated neighborhood, where more than half of schools are overcrowded, according to a Chalkbeat analysis.

But the Republicans — none of whom represent Newark — are raising questions about the proposal, as well as what they allege is Newark’s mismanagement of federal pandemic relief funds.

In an April 2 letter to the state education department, comptroller, and local finance board, Republicans slammed the district for what they claim are “epic fiscal failures and taxpayer waste” and urged officials to reject the district’s proposed lease and ensure the district “stop wasting taxpayer dollars.” District officials have said the proposed lease would help add seats in the East Ward, as the state lacks funding to move forward on new school projects already identified in Newark.

In a separate letter to the U.S. Department of Education on March 31, a state senator and two Assembly members asked Secretary Linda McMahon to conduct an “immediate federal review” into how the district spent $287 million in pandemic relief.

In a statement to Chalkbeat on Tuesday, Ellen Keast, a spokesperson for the U.S Department of Education, said the federal department is taking the legislators’ concerns seriously.

“Misuse of taxpayer funds became widespread under the previous administration, which is why addressing it is a top priority,” Keast said.

Paul Brubaker, Newark Public Schools’ communications director, did not respond to a request for comment.

Michael Yaple, spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Education, said the department received the letter from lawmakers and is reviewing Newark’s lease proposal. Yaple could not say when the state education department would decide on the proposal.

The Republicans’ calls echo recent efforts across the country to bring back state takeovers of school districts, a practice New Jersey has long used in cases of fiscal mismanagement or academic failures. Critics have said the practice frequently targets districts with large shares of students of color.

But Republicans are now raising the same issues cited when the state originally seized control of the district in 1995: mismanagement, lavish spending, and poor student outcomes.

GOP Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who represents parts of Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties west of Newark, recently cosponsored a bill that would appoint state monitors to school districts that receive 70% or more of aid from the state. Typically, more than 80% of Newark’s funding support comes from state aid.

“Newark has pockets of excellence. I don’t doubt that at all, and they should be very proud of some of the gains that they have made,” said Fantasia, who signed both letters and has alleged on Fox News and social media that Newark has mismanaged money. “That does not excuse egregious, ridiculous spending and behavior on nonsense for adults.”

The scrutiny comes as Superintendent Roger León tries to consolidate the gains Newark has made since the state officially ended its 25-year takeover of the district in 2020. At that time, León said he was worried about the school system’s recovery, not from the pandemic, but from the state’s control.

During a Fox News show last week, León was asked to respond to Fantasia’s concerns about Newark’s spending not resulting in better student outcomes. He said he had “absolutely no idea” what Fantasia was talking about. Instead, León touted the district’s 90% graduation rate and its 10.4% chronic absenteeism rate.

Under León, the district has also opened ten new schools and increased its enrollment. That trend has been fueled in part by a surge in English language learners and students with disabilities who require more money to educate.

For the next school year, the district said its costs are rising and closed a $122.9 million budget gap by reallocating funds, drawing from its budgeted fund balance, and cutting 30 teaching positions.

The district in March approved a $1.67 billion budget for next school year and expects to receive a record $1.38 billion in state aid.

“I don’t think we have a money problem in these large districts,” Fantasia said. “It’s how those dollars are allocated, what the deliverables are, and what student outcomes are.”

Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office referred questions about Newark’s lease proposal and investigation into its finances to the state education department. Her proposed fiscal 2027 budget would add funding for new roles there to help districts facing budget deficits.

Newark, the state’s biggest school district, receives the largest share of state aid, which the School Funding Reform Act distributes to districts based on student population, property valuations, and the income of residents, according to Danielle Farrie, research director for the Education Law Center.

Proposed school lease provokes New Jersey Republicans’ anger

At the center of the Republican complaints is the lease proposal for the new site of the Riverfront Elementary School in Newark’s East Ward. Students in the neighborhood learn in school buildings that are on average a century old. But the Schools Development Authority –– the state agency that builds new schools for Newark and 30 other high-poverty districts –– has rebuilt only two new school buildings since 2006, and nine total for the district overall.

Hawkins Street School is located in the East Ward of Newark, New Jersey and was originally built in 1887.

The Republican letter to the state notes that the Riverfront School deal is more than the roughly $284 million cost of Perth Amboy High School, the most expensive school built by the SDA in New Jersey. The district already holds a lease worth over $300 million for the Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design, also in the East Ward.

The links between Mayor Ras Baraka and the proposed Riverfront School’s developer, 56 Freeman Street LLC, have also increased scrutiny of the district.

District officials have defended the lease deal by pointing out delays in projects run by the SDA, which estimates it needs $7 billion to fund construction projects in the 31 high poverty districts alone. Republican lawmakers counter that by saying the nine new schools built for Newark since 2006 are “nearly one every other year.”

The Republican letter also cites a 2024 state audit that required the public school system to return $33,650 in state aid that officials spent on an outdoor party for central office staff and their families. The district has not told Chalkbeat if it returned the money. The state’s education department investigation determined that the spending violated laws on how school boards can spend taxpayer dollars since the event lacked educational or professional development value.

Nearly 70% of students in grades 3-9 fell short of literacy standards on state tests in 2025, and roughly 80% did not meet math standards. The district has improved scores by about two percentage points every year since 2022, and because of the improvements, the state designated Newark as a high-performing district this school year. But Republican lawmakers argue Newark’s spending is still out of sync with its academic results.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Record school aid, tutoring, youth mental health: key education priorities in New Jersey governor 2027 budget

2026-03-10T21:00:13+00:00

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New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill says her first budget will break records for state education spending.

Speaking at the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Tuesday, she proposed more than $13.8 billion in total education spending in her fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes $12.4 billion in K-12 aid, $1.4 billion for preschool, and $15 million to expand high-impact tutoring to more districts.

Sherrill’s budget also includes $33 million to provide new youth mental health services and $625,000 to help support the state’s first cellphone-free school year starting this fall.

But notably, some items were absent. The budget proposal doesn’t include new money for the Schools Development Authority, the state agency responsible for school construction. Instead, the proposed budget will help fund new roles at the Department of Education to help school districts facing budget deficits, according to state leaders.

“This budget invests in and lays the groundwork for consolidating services and curricula,” Sherrill said. “It’s better for students, offering continuity as they move from elementary to middle to high school in one unified system. And it’s better for districts, providing needed savings.”

In Newark, home to New Jersey’s largest school district, education advocates hoped Sherrill’s budget priorities would also address longstanding issues such as providing additional support for the district’s more than 7,0000 students with disabilities and their families, along with more funding to replace the city’s old public school buildings. State leaders said special education aid, supplemented through federal IDEA funds, varies by district and is based on student counts, rather than statewide averages as of fiscal year 2026.

Sherrill spoke before a room full of former governors, politicians, community advocates, and other guests as she outlined her $60.7 billion overall state spending plan, which includes high appropriations to property tax relief programs and public worker pensions, and includes a proposed surplus of $5.4 billion.

The proposed budget is Sherrill’s first spending plan for the next fiscal year, which starts on July 1, and represents the state’s most ambitious investments in public education during what state leaders have called a “very difficult budget situation.” At the beginning of the budget process, state leaders estimated a $3 billion budget structural deficit, or about 5% of state expenses, “historically one of the worst budget gaps in the nation,” Sherrill said Tuesday. She also said federal funding cuts under President Donald Trump “are blowing an immediate hole in our budget.”

The proposed spending plan includes nearly $2 billion in spending reductions, as budget expenditures are approximately $1.6 billion more than anticipated revenues, according to a budget presentation on Monday. Sherrill on Tuesday said the proposal “is the budget we can afford.”

“If there are things you think we need to add – come to me with places we can cut. It’s simple math: Any additions require subtractions,” Sherrill said.

Education leaders across the state are closely watching this year’s investments in education after Sherrill, on the campaign trail, pledged to boost student performance, provide equity in schools, and reform the school funding formula.

The proposed spending plan is now in the hands of state lawmakers who will negotiate and draft the final budget bill over the next few months. The new budget must be finalized by July 1, according to the state Constitution.

Expanding support for high-impact tutoring

The budget includes $15 million for high-impact tutoring, an expansion that would help bring nearly 100 more districts into the program launched under former Gov. Phil Murphy to support students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The new investment would help reach roughly 13,500 more students, according to state leaders.

High-impact tutoring is a research-based approach that requires three or more sessions per week with the same tutor in small group settings.

Sherrill on Tuesday said the approach is helping boost math and literacy scores in Camden, Franklin, and Elk Township.

For Newark Public Schools, the new funding is especially important as only 27.7% of the city’s public school third graders reached proficiency levels in English language arts last May. In 2023, the district began implementing high-impact tutoring to help refine student skills in math and reading. It also received a state grant that year to fund the work.

Paula White, the executive director for JerseyCAN, a statewide advocacy organization, on Tuesday said she applauds Sherrill for education priorities laid out in her budget but wants to work with her administration to implement “mission-critical budgetary investments” and strengthen existing policies to help “address long-ignored educational issues.”

The organization detailed five recommendations to support student success, including expanding career and technical education and improving math curricula. It also recommended that the state provide universal access to high-impact tutoring.

More mental health services for students

The budget also allocates $33 million in School-based Partnership for Access and Resilience for Kids, or SPARK grants, to fund new youth mental health services for students with the most acute needs. Sherrill said the program will bring “specialized, intensive mental health support” back in schools.

“That work is so important, especially given the impact of social media today,” Sherrill added on Tuesday.

During her gubernatorial campaign, Sherrill made clear she would invest in student mental health and online safety. She outlined a “Kids Online Safety Agenda,” to hold “big tech’s feet to the fire,” Sherrill said Tuesday.

“Kids are struggling with pressures that didn’t exist when we were young: the always-on online culture, fierce competition, worries about school violence, and concerns about the future,” Sherrill said.

The investment comes as Newark students have been pushing for more mental health support. Last month, a Newark student coalition spoke out at a school board meeting after members rejected their proposals that would have given students a formal role in monitoring how the district addresses mental health needs.

Preparing for a cellphone-free school year

The mental health push is also tied to the state’s first implementation of the new phone-free schools law starting this upcoming school year. In January, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law directing school districts to create policies that would limit the use of cellphones during instructional hours.

The proposed budget sets aside $125,000 for the new Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness in the Department of Health and $500,000 in support for a new Social Media Research Center.

“My four kids are between the ages of 14 and 20. And I can tell you with certainty: Our country is failing our children when it comes to protecting them online,” Sherrill said.

The new law calls on school districts to create their own policies restricting the use of cellphones during instructional hours. Newark school officials last month said they are working on their new policies. In December, the district was awarded more than $170,000 through a state grant to implement a bell-to-bell policy limiting cellphone use.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

NJ working group says special education program goals must be measurable, parents need more time to prepare

2026-03-05T21:30:59+00:00

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New Jersey’s parents of students with disabilities could soon have more resources and a stronger voice in shaping their child’s special education program following recommendations drafted by a state-mandated working group.

The 27-member group made up of educators, advocates, and parents outlined 17 recommendations aimed at making individualized education programs, or IEPs, more consistent, accessible, and effective for New Jersey students. An IEP is a legally required plan that details services a child with a disability should be receiving in school.

The report calls for significant improvements in how schools develop IEPs and emphasizes the need for transparency, accountability, measurable goals, and parent involvement in the process. Some of the recommendations include creating one statewide IEP system, providing parents with draft IEPs at least five working days before a meeting, and requiring the state to develop a consistent level of performance structure, which forms the foundation of an IEP.

The working group, established by a law signed under former Gov. Phil Murphy last summer, released its final report in January and created the recommendations by looking at gaps in current school IEP practices across New Jersey.

Introduced as a bill by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, the law also mandated that schools provide parents with a written statement of items to be discussed at an IEP meeting, no later than two business days before it takes place.

The working group submitted its 17 recommendations to the state’s education department and now are awaiting a response and legislative action, said Peg Kinsell, policy director at SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, who was part of the state working group.

Kinsell said “education, empowerment, changes to the system, and monitoring” are all part of the improvements the group recommended to ensure parents get a seat at the table and consistency is set across school districts.

“It just is the responsibility of the schools, and ultimately the state, to empower families to be the active participants in this IEP process on all sides of the equation from the beginning,” Kinsell added.

The new reports come as state and local leaders look for ways to bolster the state’s special education system, which has experienced an increase in the number of children needing services. In New Jersey, autism rates among 8-year-olds without intellectual disabilities spiked by 500% from 2000 to 2016 and overall cases among children with intellectual disabilities tripled during the same period, according to a 2023 report from researchers at Rutgers University.

In Newark, researchers found that as of 2020, 1 in 20 children had been diagnosed with autism, compared with 1 in 167 in 2000. Newark Public Schools has also experienced an increase in students with disabilities; last school year, nearly 7,000 students with disabilities enrolled in the district.

According to the report, the group looked at five priorities: present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, goals and objectives, implementation of IEPs, monitoring of student progress, and IEP team collaboration and consultation.

Kinsell, who has more than two decades of experience working on special education advocacy, said the state should take a closer look at how school districts are implementing IEPs.

The working group’s recommendations called to strengthen accountability by adding a “special education service implementation” category to the state’s evaluation system for school districts known as the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum, or NJQSAC.

The group also recommended standardizing documents and professional development so all IEP team members, including parents, understand what implementation of services looks like.

“We have to stop thinking special education has its own laws, its own rules, its own process, they’re still part of the educational system,” Kinsell added. “Why don’t we have really explicit progress monitoring of special education? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several recommendations also focus specifically on parent involvement, a recurring concern raised throughout the working group sessions.

Under IDEA, the federal law that ensures students with disabilities receive special education services, an IEP is meant to be drafted collaboratively with parents. Kinsell says parents have reported receiving the document at the meeting itself, leaving little to no time for review, prepare questions, or advocate effectively for their child.

The group also recommends expanding parent training resources and translating materials to ensure families who don’t speak English can participate in the process.

Kinsell hopes the new report will “keep the conversation going” about the need to bolster New Jersey’s special education program.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Nominee for NJ education commissioner says she would help school districts, not hinder them

2026-02-19T21:17:06+00:00

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The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously advanced Lily Laux’s nomination to serve as the state’s commissioner of education, moving her one step closer to leading the state’s public schools that serve 1.3 million students.

Speaking to senators before the vote, Laux discussed the need to identify the root causes of school budget deficits; expand academic recovery efforts; support schools in implementing artificial intelligence; and fix the state’s aging school buildings.

Laux, however, did not mention specific plans or initiatives she would launch as head of the state’s education department, which oversees more than 500 school districts.

During Thursday’s hearing, senators questioned Laux for more than an hour about how she would tackle New Jersey’s biggest educational challenges. Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, who represents Newark, said she feels excited about Laux taking the state’s top education role.

“I know that with Lily the momentum is going to continue on behalf of students and that to me is the most important part,” Ruiz told Chalkbeat after the hearing.

A former deputy commissioner of school programs in Texas, Laux told senators that “everything is on the table” to support Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the legislature’s goals to improve schools and support students. Sherrill nominated Laux to the commissioner’s job earlier this year. Following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on Thursday, the state Senate will hold a final vote at a future date to confirm Laux.

“I’ve learned that state agencies can help or hinder [school districts],” Laux said Thursday. “We can work hand in hand to make sure students have real opportunities and measure outcomes in an honest way.”

Laux’s nomination comes as districts continue to grapple with changes to the state’s school funding formula that have led to budget deficits in some districts and increases in others, aging and crumbling buildings, and shifting enrollment trends.

In Newark, the state’s largest school district, the next commissioner will help shape how state aid is distributed; provide support for the city’s most vulnerable students; oversee initiatives to help improve third grade literacy; and continue monitoring district performance, as local leaders navigate budget pressures and enrollment fluxes.

Laux also stressed her commitment to expanding opportunities for students through career and technical education programs, expanding high-impact tutoring efforts, and helping school districts understand new policies and initiatives. She did not go into specifics about her plans but stressed that state data would help drive those discussions in collaboration with Sherrill’s office, the legislature, and school districts.

Ruiz and Sen. Vin Gopal, who represents parts of Monmouth County and chairs the Senate Education Committee, also raised the urgent need to fix New Jersey’s oldest school buildings. This month, Ruiz introduced legislation that would create a $10.5 billion bond to fund school construction projects in Newark and other districts, subject to state voters’ approval.

Laux said she has not yet met with the Schools Development Authority, the state agency tasked with overseeing school construction projects. Although the state’s education department isn’t tasked with managing school construction, Laux said she wants to ensure that school buildings are meeting students’ needs.

Senators also spent a portion of Thursday’s hearing discussing the state’s school funding formula amid ongoing budget deficits in many districts across the state. Laux, who will be tasked with helping modernize the funding formula, said she wants to ensure school funding is supporting student outcomes and performance.

“We need to make sure this conversation as a whole is not just about the money, but really about the impact it has,” said Laux about school funding.

In Newark, state aid makes up 84% of the district’s budget, but last year, officials with the city school district said they were $34.2 million below what the state defines as adequate funding.

Before her nomination to the commissioner’s job, Laux worked for the ILO Group, an education policy and strategy firm that develops educational strategies with state and district leaders. She also spent nearly seven years with the Texas Education Agency, where, as deputy commissioner of school programs, she led the implementation of school finance reform, the agency’s COVID-19 response, and a comprehensive literacy initiative.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

As New Jersey leadership changes, the state’s next commissioner of education will focus on literacy

2026-02-04T22:56:07+00:00

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New Jersey’s incoming education leader, Lily Laux, has experience overseeing literacy initiatives in Texas, where she served as one of that state’s top education officials and implemented training for over 150,000 K-3 teachers in the science of reading. Now, Laux is expected to bring her expertise in literacy reform to her new position.

The New Jersey Board of Education confirmed Laux as acting commissioner of education, a procedural move that allows her to take over when Kevin Dehmer steps down by the end of the day Wednesday.

Laux’s official appointment to lead the state’s education department is pending Senate approval.

Before her nomination to the state’s top education seat, Laux worked for the ILO Group, an education policy and strategy firm that develops educational strategies with state and district leaders. She also spent nearly seven years with the Texas Education Agency, where, as deputy commissioner of school programs, she led the implementation of school finance reform, the agency’s COVID-19 response, and a comprehensive literacy initiative.

In New Jersey, Laux will focus on literacy outcomes, expanding access to pre-K, increasing mental health resources, modernizing the state’s school funding formula, and investing in high-impact tutoring, once her appointment is finalized, according to the state.

Speaking to state board of education members on Wednesday, Laux said public schools were essential to her life story, and her upbringing prepared her for work in education. Raised by a single mother, Laux said she felt inspired to pursue a career in education, and as a teacher, she witnessed the systemic barriers making lives harder for students, school districts, and educators, Laux said.

“I’m very honored that Gov. Sherrill has entrusted me with this vision of how do we continue to take what’s already great in New Jersey and make sure that we have tremendous opportunity for every single student,” Laux said.

Laux will succeed Dehmer, who spent more than 17 years with the New Jersey Department of Education serving in financial leadership roles, including twice as acting commissioner of education, before he was formally sworn into the role last March. On Monday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Dehmer as her pick to be the state’s chief technology officer, overseeing the New Jersey Office of Information Technology.

During Wednesday’s state board of education meeting, members praised Laux’s extensive background in education. Dehmer called her “outstanding and overly qualified.”

As commissioner of education, Laux will oversee the state’s 1.4 million students across its more than 600 school districts. She will also support other education priorities laid out by the Sherrill administration, including equity in schools and overseeing the state’s literacy framework.

Laux is “all about students, access, and opportunity,” said Julia Rafal-Baer, chief executive officer at ILO Group.

During her time with the ILO Group last fall, Laux worked with state and district leaders across the country to help oversee strategies in implementing instructional materials for schools and the responsible use of AI in schools, and used her expertise around workforce development to help develop pathways for student success, said Rafal-Baer.

“She comes at her work with such a deep appreciation for the power of public schools and what public school teachers did for her,” Rafal-Baer added.

Education advocates in Newark will be looking to Laux and the Sherrill administration to help fund updates to public school buildings, improve early childhood education, desegregate schools, and provide more resources for families of students with disabilities. In January, Sherrill signed an executive order to establish the Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness in the Department of Health to help protect kids online and improve their mental health.

Laux was also a candidate for commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education last April.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

As Gov. Mikie Sherrill takes office, Newark education advocates outline key priorities

2026-01-20T20:34:17+00:00

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Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the first female Democratic governor in New Jersey history, was sworn into office on Tuesday in Newark and pledged to address concerns about safety, education, and economic stability for all the state’s residents.

The ceremony took place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, one of the few times that a governor’s inauguration has not taken place in Trenton, the state’s capital. During her time as a U.S. congresswoman, Sherrill represented the state’s 11th Congressional District, which includes parts of Essex County. The scene outside of NJPAC was lively on Tuesday as dozens of state and city leaders and Sherrill supporters eagerly awaited her first remarks as governor.

During her address, Sherrill, the first female veteran to serve as governor and second female governor in state history, spoke about her commitment to New Jersey and its residents, emphasizing the importance of family and personal support in her journey to becoming governor. She made few mentions about education during her remarks.

“We’re going to fight for housing families can afford, for good schools, safe streets, and ending skyrocketing utility costs,” Sherrill said Tuesday.

In Newark, education advocates hope Sherrill’s administration will deliver on campaign promises such as working toward equity in schools, boosting student performance, and expanding the state’s Intradistrict Public School Choice Program.

Those issues are prevalent in Newark Public Schools, the state’s largest public school system, along with concerns over outdated school buildings, rising costs, student attendance, segregation, and support for the city’s most vulnerable students.

Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, the first pastor to hold the office, was also sworn in on Tuesday and brings years of experience in K-12 schools and higher education to the role.

“It was justice that led me to serve on a school board and eventually to lead a college because I believe education is the key to opportunity and the foundation of a fair society,” Caldwell said.

Sherill’s administration has not yet released details about her education priorities this year. On the campaign trail, she pledged to invest in tutoring, student mental health, and equity in schools, largely echoing policies laid out by former Gov. Phil Murphy.

Last Friday, Sherrill announced Lily Laux, a former deputy commissioner for the Texas Education Agency, as her pick for the state’s education commissioner. Laux was also a candidate for commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Laux will focus on improving literacy outcomes, expanding access to pre-K, increasing mental health resources, modernizing and stabilizing the school funding formula, and investing in high-impact tutoring, according to a state press release.

Education advocates want Sherrill to focus on Newark’s needs

In Newark, city leaders are closely watching to see what Sherrill’s administration will tackle first. Education advocates and nonprofits told Chalkbeat last week they want Sherrill to fund updates to schools, focus on early childhood education, desegregate schools, and provide more resources for families of students with disabilities.

Vivian Cox Fraser, president and CEO of the Urban League of Essex County, said she is “eager” to work with Sherill and her administration on school segregation and hopes the new governor will address the state’s long-standing school segregation lawsuit filed in 2018 and is pending in the courts.

“Segregation has been an issue in the state for far too long. We hope Sherrill’s administration will make progress in the case,” Fraser said. “I am optimistic, you know, but at the same time, I also feel it’s important to hold everyone accountable, and hold the new administration accountable too.”

During her campaign, Sherrill expressed support for tackling segregation in schools, and one approach she has supported is the expansion of the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice program, which allows students to attend a public school in a different district.

A coalition of students in Newark has also said investing in school infrastructure should be a top priority for the incoming administration, as many public school buildings date back to the 1920s.

Last year, a group of more than 100 organizations called on the state to fund the state’s school construction program and updates to buildings in Newark and 30 other high poverty districts. The group of organizations also called on the state to provide more funding to the Schools Development Authority, the state agency responsible for funding construction projects in Newark and 30 other high-poverty school districts.

Last year, the state promised to replace 13 of the district’s oldest school buildings and build a new University High School in the South Ward, but those projects require funding for the SDA to begin the work. Sherrill has made no mention of financing the SDA yet.

Newark has operated under local control since 2020, following 25 years of state oversight. Since then, the district has encountered challenges in alleviating overcrowding in schools, raising state test scores, assessing the effects of anti-Blackness in the school system, and providing support for its students with disabilities and English language learners.

Historically, the district has struggled to get students with disabilities the services they are owed. Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr, founder of Nassan’s Place, a nonprofit supporting students with disabilities and their families in Newark, said Sherrill should bring grassroots organizations like hers “to the table” to offer their experiences in supporting the city’s most vulnerable families.

Specifically, she wants the state to create a special services unit “dedicated to families with special needs” such as those looking for food pantries, shelter and emotional support. Wright-Arbubakrr also said she hopes Sherrill’s administration will provide more representation for cities with a high number of Black and Latino residents.

“Let’s help more families so that we can make sure the quality of life that these children and these parents can be fulfilling, because the reality is right now, all you’re seeing is parents in crisis,” Wright-Arbubakrr said.

Tafshier Cosby, chief executive officer for Parent Impact, a nonprofit parent advocacy group, agreed that parents need more support, specifically to help their students navigate post-pandemic academic challenges.

Cosby said parents “would really love to see the New Jersey Department of Education put together recommendations for high-quality and culturally relevant curriculum.” She hopes Sherrill’s administration will take steps to boost student performance in literacy and math.

“With us looking forward, and as we think about technology, we also have to think about critical skills and kids being able to develop those skills,” Cosby said. “We definitely have to focus on how math is part of that conversation.”

During Murphy’s last State of the State address, he recapped his top education initiatives during his eight-year term, such as expanded full-day kindergarten, increased school state aid to districts, including Newark, fully financing the school funding formula, and a new law requiring schools to adopt phone-free policies. Sherrill has also expressed support for modernizing the state’s school funding formula and enforcing Murphy’s phone-free schools law.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

NJ Gov. Phil Murphy underscores education achievements ahead of Sherrill inauguration next week

2026-01-13T21:42:34+00:00

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Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday afternoon, recapping his most long-standing initiatives that have defined his state and education agendas during his eight-year governorship.

Murphy, a two-term Democrat who has served as New Jersey’s governor since 2018, also provided words of encouragement to Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, who will be sworn into office next Tuesday in Newark. Murphy said 2026 will “mark the beginning of one of the most iconic chapters in our state’s history.”

During his address delivered in Trenton, the state’s outgoing leader pointed to his top education accomplishments, including expanded full-day kindergarten, increased school state aid to districts, including Newark, fully financing the school funding formula, and a new law requiring schools to adopt phone-free policies.

“We made long-neglected, but desperately needed, investments in our state’s future. From fully funding New Jersey’s school funding formula for the first time in history to rebuilding our roads, railways, tunnels, and bridges,” said Murphy during his Tuesday address.

Murphy’s final speech sets the stage for education priorities Sherrill may pursue as districts like Newark Public Schools, the state’s largest, grapple with crumbling school buildings, student performance, and a rise in English language learners and students with disabilities.

On Tuesday, Murphy highlighted his initiative to provide free community college to low-income residents and his administration’s work in bringing artificial intelligence to New Jersey. Last year, the state launched a set of resources aimed at helping educators understand, implement, and manage AI in schools.

“I promised to invest in our students, workers, and innovators — so they can work together to unlock new, AI-powered breakthroughs that change lives — all around the world — for the better,” said Murphy during his address.

Among his final acts as governor, Murphy signed a law last week requiring all New Jersey school districts to adopt new restrictions on the use of cellphones and other internet-enabled devices in K-12 schools. On Tuesday, Murphy said, “the law is common sense” and believes the state should go further.

Murphy praised Sherrill for identifying children’s online safety as a priority for her incoming administration. On Monday, Murphy also released the New Jersey Youth Mental Health Strategic Plan, a plan to continue youth mental health support across the state. The plan details strategies already underway and highlights other opportunities “to foster youth resiliency, reduce stigma, facilitate care delivery, and support caregivers,” a state press release stated.

“The bottom line is: We have seen the impact smartphones and social media have had on young New Jerseyans. As a parent, I’ve seen it first-hand,” said Murphy during his address. “It’s time to step up and protect our kids. We owe it to them, as well as future generations.”

Murphy made no mention of the need to fund the state’s Schools Development Authority, which is responsible for paying for construction projects in Newark Public Schools and 30 other high-poverty districts. But with no long-term financing plans, projects such as those to replace University High School in Newark are at a standstill.

Over the last three fiscal years, New Jersey has allocated nearly $2 billion for school construction projects. Still, there is an immediate need to renovate or replace more than 100 buildings in the 31 high-poverty school districts due to age and condition, according to the School Development Authority’s statewide strategic plan. Last year, the state agreed to replace 13 of Newark’s oldest public school buildings, but that deal leaves out 20 schools, district officials have previously said.

On Tuesday, Murphy said his administration is leaving the next governor a nearly $7 billion surplus, “a surplus that is more than 15 times greater” than the $409 million his administration inherited.

Murphy noted Sherrill’s commitment to New Jersey and her varied resume, which includes stints as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, a federal prosecutor, and a U.S. Congresswoman.

“Mikie has done it all. Like a true Naval aviator, she has navigated the chaos in Congress with grit and grace. She has inspired millions of New Jerseyans,” Murphy said. “And Mikie and Dale are going to be amazing. This job is not easy. But it is the journey of a lifetime.”

Education leaders are closely watching to see how Sherrill’s administration plans to start the year, including insight into this year’s state budget amid changes to federal funding. This school year, Murphy provided nearly $90 million in K-12 school aid. In New Jersey’s largest school district, 84% of Newark Public Schools’ budget came from state aid, a record-high $1.3 billion, but it’s too early to tell if Newark will receive a similar amount for the upcoming school year.

Sherrill did not make remarks during Tuesday’s State of the State address, but she has previously expressed plans to update the state’s school funding formula to ensure more equity among school districts. During her gubernatorial campaign, Sherrill said she would “work hard to drive down costs” in the state and would evaluate programs that are working and prioritize support for those. She is also focused on getting federal funding for education back from the Trump administration.

The former congresswoman has also pledged to tackle student performance, segregation in schools, and the expansion of the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice program, which allows students to attend a public school in a different district. Newark Public Schools does not participate in the program, but an expansion could have implications for the district, where enrollment has increased by nearly 20% over the last five years.

Sherrill has supported phone-free schools, a priority in line with her campaign’s push to raise awareness about the dangers of social media and their effects on youth mental health. She will be sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark students will no longer be allowed to use cellphones in schools under new state law

2026-01-08T23:23:05+00:00

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Newark schools will go phone-free beginning this September under a new state law requiring districts to limit students from using cellphones during instructional hours.

On Thursday, in a room full of educators, students, and lawmakers at Ramsey High School, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the law requiring all New Jersey school districts to adopt new restrictions on the use of cellphones and other internet-enabled devices in K-12 schools. The state Education Department will also publish updated guidance on cellphones later this month.

The new law does not ban cellphones in schools outright but instead calls on districts to implement policies at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The new policies should, at a minimum, provide “age-appropriate and grade-level guidelines” for restricting cellphone and social media use during classroom instruction. The policies must also allow for exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

The new law comes after the state, in December, awarded a grant to Newark and 85 other school districts that committed to phone-free schools and implementation of a “bell-to-bell” policy.

Murphy has repeatedly called for banning phones during school, and this year, the state Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents issued a report that recommended a “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphones. The commission also found that cellphones and social media can affect youth self-esteem and cause anxiety and depression.

“We’re going to rid our classrooms of needless distractions and encourage our children to be more attentive and engaged during the school day,” Murphy said.

New Jersey’s phone-free schools push is part of a growing trend nationwide to ban cellphone use from the first bell to dismissal. California and New York implemented similar initiatives to limit phones in school and provide funding to districts to enforce policies.

The excessive use of smartphones and social media can impact sleep, have negative effects on youth mental health, and hinder academic performance, according to recent studies. Some school districts are also seeing a boost in test scores after implementing cellphone bans.

The new law marks one of Murphy’s final acts as governor before Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill is sworn into office on Jan. 20 in Newark. During her gubernatorial campaign, Sherrill said she supported a statewide ban on cellphones in schools and pushed for more awareness about the dangers of social media and their effects on youth mental health.

Here’s what we know about New Jersey’s phone-free schools law:

Who and what does the law apply to?

Under the new law, the state’s Commissioner of Education must update guidelines on restricting students’ use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices, including smart watches, during regular school hours, on a school bus, or during school-sanctioned events. Students will also be barred from using social media platforms during instructional hours.

The guidelines will be published in mid-January after consultation with stakeholders, according to the state.

School boards will be required to adopt policies that align with state guidelines, while maintaining flexibility to provide reasonable accommodations as appropriate. The law will apply to K-12 public schools, including charter schools.

Murphy on Thursday said the new law will improve learning environments across the state.

“Students are more focused, they’re less anxious, and they’re socializing and laughing with each other, not through a screen, but in the hallways and classrooms,” said Murphy, referring to Ramsey High School, where phones are prohibited during school hours.

How will schools collect phones?

School districts can purchase phone storage systems such as lockers, locked pouches, or check-in cabinets to store cellphones at the start of the school day. The state’s new guidelines will include options that school districts may use to store students’ devices.

In December, Newark Public Schools was awarded $176,625 to purchase a storage system as part of the state’s Phone-Free Schools Grant Program, a $3 million appropriation in the fiscal year 2026 budget. Two Newark charter schools were also awarded grant funds: Maria L. Varisco-Rogers for $1,490, and Great Oaks Legacy for $9,022.

The goal, state leaders have previously said, is to minimize distractions during the school day and ensure students are engaged throughout instructional hours.

Are there exceptions to the law?

New school policies must address the use of cellphones during an emergency and include guidelines for students who need their phones for language translation or those responsible for caring for a family member.

Exceptions must also be made for students with disabilities and for those whose health plans require their devices to manage a medical condition. Parents will have to provide documentation from a health care provider.

Across the country, parents have raised concerns about cellphone bans, and there is evidence in other surveys that parents want their children to have a phone in school in case of an emergency. Newark Public Schools’ current cellphone policy says that in the event of an emergency, administrators will direct students on when they may safely turn on a cellphone.

How will it be enforced?

Local school boards will adopt their own policies in line with updated guidance from the state’s Education Department, which will serve as a “roadmap for creating safer, more focused learning environments,” per the state.

The state has not said how it will monitor school districts’ enforcement of the new law, but will let districts develop their own enforcement plans.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

NJ’s interdistrict school choice program is limited in reach, new data shows

2025-12-18T22:40:56+00:00

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New Jersey’s Interdistrict Public School Choice Program has remained steady over the years, offering the option to a relatively small and consistent number of students, mostly from affluent districts, rather than expanding its access on a broader scale, state data obtained by Chalkbeat shows.

The state’s choice program was created to allow students to attend public schools outside their home district, but it has been stalled for more than a decade due to a lack of funding.

Participation in the program has stayed consistent, averaging around 5,000 students annually, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of the program’s data over the last 10 years. That figure has been largely unchanged even as some school districts across the state experience declining enrollments.

There are 119 participating “choice districts” spanning counties such as Hudson, Morris, Passaic, and Burlington, but no Essex County districts, including Newark, currently participate. Traditional public school districts must opt in as choice districts and can set limits on the number of students they accept.

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill has expressed support for expanding the program, mainly as a way to desegregate the state’s public schools. The program is currently budgeted for $62 million and in 2012-13, Gov. Chris Christie’s administration capped the program at 5% growth annually. Some participating superintendents said that left the program underfunded and incapable of meeting the demand for seats.

To operate the program, the state provides the receiving district with money to cover the cost of educating a student. But experts have warned that paying for students isn’t the same everywhere because of differences in tax levies across cities and towns.

Supporters of the program say scaling up would help desegregate schools, support districts facing enrollment declines, and give students more options to specialized programs.

In many cases, the sending and receiving districts are close neighbors, suggesting that families are choosing districts that are close to home, according to Chalkbeat’s analysis. Sending school districts must pay for up to 20 miles of a student’s transportation. After that, parents must cover the cost to send their child to school, which shapes who is able to take advantage of the program and determines where a student can go.

In 2024, Winslow Township Schools in Camden County sent 473 students to other districts, the highest of any sending district in the program, followed by Jersey City Public Schools in Hudson County and Middle Township Public Schools in Cape May County, which both sent 134.

Also in 2024, Hammonton Public Schools in Atlantic County received 224 students, the highest of any choice district in the program, followed by the Englewood Public School District in Bergen County that received 215, and the Folsom School District in Atlantic County that received 207.

The data also shows that participation is concentrated among a few communities. While some districts send or receive hundreds of students, many others see little to no movement through the program. Lawrence Township Public Schools stands out as a “choice-neutral” district because it sent and received 80 students in 2024, while several smaller districts showed a similar trend but on a much smaller scale.

Although the program has been around for more than two decades, there’s little data available about how it is currently working, which students are participating, and the financial impact on sending and receiving school districts.

Supporters of the program have signaled that an expansion into Essex County could be next. That could have implications for Newark Public Schools, where enrollment has increased by nearly 20% over the last five years. The latest state figures show Newark enrolled roughly 44,000 pre-K through 12th grade students in the 2024-25 school year, up from roughly 36,600 in 2019.

Education experts also said that expanding the choice program could strain district budgets, especially in districts like Newark, where state aid makes up 84% of its budget this school year. But in affluent districts with higher property taxes, the program has yielded positive results.

In the Glassboro Public School District in Gloucester County, former Superintendent Mark Silverstein previously told Chalkbeat that the state cap set by the Christie administration in 2012-13 prevented his district from growing the choice program. During Silverstein’s tenure, about 200 students from neighboring school districts participated. That program helped boost student achievement and strengthen academic programs, Silverstein added.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.