OC/OS Education Priorities
Policy Brief
Spring 2026

Access a downloadable version of the full OC/OS policy here.

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Spring 2026

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Executive Summary

 

Our Children/Our Schools (OC/OS) is a statewide network of New Jersey education, children’s rights and civil rights organizations that share a commitment to supporting students and their public schools. This policy brief outlines the coalition’s education policy priorities for 2026 and beyond and presents recommendations to inform state policymakers as they consider these important issues and work to protect public education in New Jersey.

 

   I. Protect the Civil Rights of All Students

 

All students in New Jersey must be educated in safe and welcoming schools. Yet there has been a growing movement in New Jersey and across the nation to erode the civil rights of students based on race, immigration status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other protected characteristics. We recommend the following:

 

1. New Jersey must establish and strengthen clear legal protections for immigrant students and their families and ensure that public schools are inclusive environments where every child is protected, respected, and able to learn without fear. 

2. The state should reaffirm that civil rights protections guaranteed under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and state regulations apply fully in all PK–12 settings, including protections based on race, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, religion, and language status. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) should also issue updated guidance clarifying district obligations and enforcement mechanisms.

3. For students with disabilities, the NJDOE must strengthen enforcement of existing protections under state and federal law that enhance monitoring, require public reporting on compliance and outcomes, and mandate corrective action plans for districts that fail to meet their obligations.

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   II. Desegregate New Jersey’s Public Schools

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New Jersey’s public school system is among the most segregated in the country, largely due to residential segregation and the requirement that most students attend schools within the municipalities where they reside. We recommend the following:

 

1. The state should use research findings for the planning and implementation of integration policies and provide districts and localities with the support and technical assistance needed to carry out integration efforts.

2. The state must engage diverse stakeholder groups (parents, teachers, advocates, community members, etc.) in public discussions about the benefits of school integration and the range of policy approaches that can achieve this goal.

 

   III. Reform School Funding

 

After 17 years, the FY25 State Budget was the first to fully fund the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), the state’s school funding formula. The FY26 State Budget included important, long-overdue fixes to school funding, including allowing below adequacy districts to raise taxes beyond the 2% property tax cap, placing limits on annual state aid reductions, and funding districts based on actual enrollments of special education students rather than the statewide average classification rate. But because these changes were implemented through temporary budget language rather than legislation, they must be reintroduced with each state budget. Governor Sherrill’s proposed state budget for FY27 includes some of these formula modifications, while also partially funding required state aid increases. We recommend the following:

 

1. The Legislature must make the temporary fixes included in the FY26 State Budget and Governor Sherrill’s FY27 proposed budget permanent and reinstate the municipal overburden protections that expired under the S2 amendments to the SFRA.

2. The school funding formula's calculations of local and state share should be revised to improve equity and lessen the property tax burden on over-taxed communities.

3. The Administration must engage stakeholders in a comprehensive review of the SFRA to ensure that it reflects the true cost of educating and meeting the needs of current students, since it is now two decades old.

 

   IV. Reject Private Education Vouchers

 

The budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in July 2025 established the nation’s first federal voucher program, a tax credit scheme that has the potential to divert billions of dollars a year from public education. Governors must annually opt in to this harmful program, and doing so will likely open the door to even more voucher programs in states. We recommend the following:

 

1. The Governor must annually opt New Jersey out of the federal voucher program with the Legislature’s support.

2. The Governor and Legislature must continue opposing any proposals that would establish a voucher program in New Jersey, to ensure state resources continue to focus on supporting our public schools.

 

   V. Fund School Construction

 

New Jersey has a constitutional obligation to fund capital and emergent projects in the 31 SDA districts. The FY26 State Budget included $50 million for capital projects, but many billions more are needed to alleviate overcrowding and replace aging buildings. We recommend the following:

 

1. The state must fully fund the SDA capital program at a level commensurate with documented need and sufficient to address the backlog in school construction, modernization, and emergent repair projects in SDA districts.

2. The Legislature should establish a predictable, recurring capital funding stream for school construction to prevent future backlogs and ensure that facilities meet health, safety, accessibility, and educational adequacy standards consistent with state law.

3. The state should prioritize projects that address overcrowding, environmental health hazards, accessibility upgrades required under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and facilities improvements necessary to support modern instructional programming.

4. The NJDOE and the SDA should provide transparent public reporting on project timelines, approval processes, and funding allocations, ensuring equitable distribution of resources and timely completion of projects in high-need communities.

 

   VI. Eliminate High School Exit Testing

 

New Jersey is one of just six states that still requires students to pass a high school exit exam in order to graduate, in addition to meeting all credit, coursework, and attendance requirements. Research shows exit exams do not improve academic achievement or economic outcomes for graduates and negatively harm certain student groups, including low-income students and students with disabilities. We recommend the following:

 

1. The Legislature must eliminate exit testing as a high school graduation requirement to ensure all New Jersey students receive the diploma they earned.

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   VII. Expand the Number of Community Schools

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The community schools model allows districts to work collaboratively with students, parents, and teachers to strengthen and expand the services provided by public schools so they can better serve the unique needs of their communities. Community schools are a proven and effective strategy for addressing students’ needs, but cuts to federal funding for full-service community schools put them at risk. We recommend the following:

 

1. The Governor and Legislature should identify ways to expand community schools in New Jersey, including by partnering with already-established nonprofit entities, such as the New Jersey Institute for Community Schools at Saint Elizabeth University.

2. The state should establish an Office of Community Schools in the NJDOE, fund a pilot expansion initiative, and provide additional support to technical assistance centers.

3. The Governor and Legislature should establish a direct appropriation for community schools in all future state budgets to fill the gap created by reduced federal funding, and increase investment over time to allow all public schools to become community schools.

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   VIII. Fund Afterschool and Out-of-School-Time Programs

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Afterschool and Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs have many proven benefits, including providing students with academic support, mentoring, and other enrichment opportunities to help them be successful in school. Yet these programs remain underfunded, fragmented across agencies, and treated as optional rather than essential. We recommend the following:

 

1. The Legislature must pass legislation to establish the New Jersey Out-of-School-Time Advisory Commission to improve coordination across state agencies; elevate the voices of providers, parents, and youth; and develop a coherent statewide strategy.

2. The state must establish a sustainable, recurring funding stream for afterschool and summer programs; invest in the OST workforce, offering competitive wages and professional development; and reduce the administrative burdens that pull providers away from serving students.

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   IX. Fund Healing Centered Engagement

 

In New Jersey and across the nation, students, families, and educators are navigating compounding social, economic, and political stressors that have significantly impacted learning environments and overall well-being. Healing Centered Engagement (HCE) is a model for improving the well-being of students and the adults who serve them in schools. We recommend the following:

 

1. Healing Centered Engagement implementation in New Jersey has relied primarily on private funding. The state should invest in expanding HCE statewide, so all schools are equipped to support students’ academic success, social-emotional development, and mental health in holistic and culturally responsive ways.

2. Future state budgets should include a dedicated appropriation to expand and sustain HCE across New Jersey public schools.

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   X. Fill Expired Seats on the State Board of Education

 

The State Board of Education plays a vital role in education policy decisions that impact New Jersey schoolchildren, their families, and educators across the state. While progress has been made to fill expired seats on the Board, there is still work to be done. We recommend the following:

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1. The Governor should submit nominations for all remaining expired seats without delay, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, followed by the full Senate, should prioritize timely hearings and confirmations to fully seat the State Board. This can include extending the terms of members in currently expired seats.

2. The Governor and Legislature should establish clear timelines and expectations for appointing new members to the Board to prevent long-term seat expirations and vacancies.