NJSBA Adopts Advocacy Agenda for 2026-2027 Legislative Session

In mid-January of every even-numbered year, a new two-year legislative session begins in New Jersey. At the start of each session, the New Jersey School Boards Association adopts a legislative advocacy agenda and action plan that guides the Association’s public policy goals at the state and federal levels. As the legislative session progresses, the Association’s Advocacy Department will work to accomplish these goals, which would benefit local boards of education and students across the state.

Legislative Committee

The NJSBA Legislative Committee plays a critical role in developing the Association’s advocacy agenda. This committee consists of the Association’s officers and several dozen individual board members. The committee is appointed by the NJSBA president with the advice and consent of the board of directors, and includes one member and one alternate from each of the state’s 40 legislative districts. The committee’s mission is to encourage, promote, and assist in developing local, county, and statewide legislative networks, and to initiate policy recommendations for consideration by the NJSBA board of directors.

The committee meets four times a year, at which members are briefed on the latest legislative action at the state and federal levels. Members discuss legislative and other policy proposals that affect boards of education. Often, the meetings include guest speakers, typically prominent legislators. Individual Legislative Committee members from each district are also encouraged to visit with local legislators to discuss areas of concern.

Process

Per the Association’s bylaws, the NJSBA Legislative Committee is charged with developing a legislative agenda and anadvocacy action plan for each legislative session. As the end of any legislative session approaches, committee members review the previous advocacy agenda and discuss additions, modifications, and deletions they consider timely and appropriate.

At its Sept. 2025 meeting, NJSBA delivered a presentation on the 2024-2025 advocacy agenda and shared details on progress made for each advocacy item, along with areas that remain legislative priorities. Staff then compiled a draft plan for the 2026-2027 legislative session and presented it to the committee at its next meeting in Dec. 2025, the final one before the previous legislative sessions ended, and held a vote to approve it. Following its approval, the agenda was presented to the NJSBA Executive Committee.

The NJSBA Executive Committee reviews the legislative agenda and advocacy action plan recommended by the Legislative Committee. After making any modifications, it then recommends the plan for approval by the board of directors. Under NJSBA bylaws, the board of directors has the final say over the adoption of the biannual legislative agenda and advocacy action plan. At its Jan. 30, 2026, meeting, the board gave the plan its seal of approval.

The Main Issues

As is typically the case, school funding and finance issues received a great deal of attention in the advocacy agenda.

As districts continue to face increased costs and growing student needs, the agenda emphasizes the importance of ensuring they have sufficient financial resources. This can take the form of increased state aid, flexibility around the two-percent property tax levy cap, and a greater federal commitment to fund programs such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Advancing the achievement of all students, NJSBA’s primary mission, is another area of focus. The agenda aims to improve student performance and promote better mental health and well-being, both of which are significant factors affecting academic achievement. The plan also prioritizes advancing educator recruitment and retention strategies. Finally, a new subject area – Governance and Operations – was added to this session’s agenda.

In total, the 2026-2027 NJSBA Legislative Advocacy Agenda and Action Plan consists of approximately 20 items split into seven policy subject areas. The full agenda follows below:

Student Achievement

• Advocate for policies that will close student achievement gaps and accelerate learning through intensive supports, such as high dosage tutoring and professional development for educators.
• Promote multiple pathways for post-secondary success for all students in both life and career, including the expansion of vocational programs in comprehensive schools.

School Funding & Finance

• Advocate for continuous full funding of the state’s school finance formula (SFRA) to meet the needs of all students in a manner that is consistent, equitable, reliable and sustainable.
• Mitigate the adverse impact on school districts experiencing reductions in state aid to ensure all students continue to receive a thorough and efficient education.
• Push for ongoing and comprehensive review and study of the funding formula that facilitates public input and will result in the modernization of and improvement to the state’s system of financing public education.
• Promote property tax levy cap flexibility to enable school districts to reach their local fair share, as determined by the funding formula, particularly for districts experiencing reductions in state aid, raising less than their local fair, and/or spending below adequacy.
• Increase state financial support for costs largely outside boards of education’s control, such as special education, pupil transportation, and health care.
• Advocate for reform to payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) arrangements to provide boards of education with more input into such agreements, as well as a share in the revenue generated by PILOTs.

Special Education

• Increase state absorption of districts’ Extraordinary Special Education costs to fulfill the State’s commitment to reimburse 100% of eligible costs and reduce the tension between local spending on general education and special education.
• Resist attempts to decrease federal support for special education and continue to advocate for full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Staffing & Labor Relations

• Enhance the pipeline of qualified educators by:
  • Eliminating the state residency requirement (i.e., “NJ First Act”) for public school employees.
  • Strengthening teacher certification reciprocity between New Jersey and other states.
  • Promoting policies that will increase the diversity of the teaching workforce.
  • Highlighting the positive aspects of serving as a teacher or support professional.
• Alleviate the bus driver shortage by allowing licensing flexibility without compromising pupil safety, and promote the use of the law that permits specific individuals to operate smaller school buses without a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
• Oppose and mobilize against efforts to intrude into collective bargaining and local governance, including decisions regarding personnel and employee benefits.

Student Health and Well-Being

• Advocate for universal free school meals fully funded by the state and/or federal government.
• Counter the effects of social media and internet usage on student mental and behavioral health, including supporting districts in adopting responsible, community-driven cell phone usage policies.
• Expand district capacity to develop and implement high-quality mental health supports, including supporting efforts that will expand the pipeline of qualified mental health professionals to provide school-based services.
• Preserve and expand high-quality school-based youth services programs.
• Promote social-emotional learning programs and improvements to the overall school climate.

Facilities and Construction

• Advocate for state funding and reforms that will assist all districts in modernizing aging school infrastructure.

Governance and Operations

• Promote civility and the toning down of political rhetoric at the local board level.
• Strongly reject any proposals that would force school districts to consolidate or regionalize without the support of all affected communities and determined through voter referendum. 

Additionally, the agenda includes a statement stressing that, in all of our endeavors, it is explicit that we advocate for funding for all mandates.

The NJSBA Advocacy Department provides regular updates on the progress of any legislation that impacts public schools in the weekly online editions of School Board Notes, quarterly Capitol Watch newsletters, periodic Legislative Update webinars, and regular informational briefings at county school boards association meetings.