NJSBA Officers and Staff Meet with Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill 

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the New Jersey School Boards Association’s officers, executive director and CEO and governmental relations staff visited Washington, D.C., to advocate before the state’s congressional delegation. 

NJSBA Vice President for County Activities Barry Fitzgerald, Vice President for Legislation/Resolutions Chanta L. Jackson, Vice President for Finance Dr. Tom Connors and Immediate Past President Irene LeFebvre spent the day engaging in a series of robust discussions on how federal lawmakers can assist New Jersey’s local school districts in advancing the achievement of all public school students. They were joined by NJSBA Executive Director/CEO Dr. Timothy Purnell, Senior Director of Advocacy Jonathan Pushman and Legislative Advocate Harrison Silver. 

By the end of the day, the NJSBA’s officers and staff met with members and policy advisers from eight offices, including: 

• U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway (CD-03) and his staff. 

• U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (CD-10) and her staff. 

• Staff of U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (CD-01). 

• Staff of U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (CD-05). 

• Staff of U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (CD-07). 

• Staff of U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou (CD-09). 

• Staff of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (CD-11). 

• Staff of Sen. Andy Kim. 

“We met with congressional representatives and staff from seven districts, as well as with Sen. Andy Kim’s office, to advocate for New Jersey’s boards of education,” Purnell said. “Our discussions focused on key concerns, including inadequate federal funding for special education, the importance of keeping public funds within public schools, and the growing challenges schools face related to immigration policies. We also emphasized the need for increased funding to support student mental health initiatives, teacher recruitment and universal school meals. Our time on Capitol Hill provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen our Association’s relationships with state leaders as they address critical issues impacting education in New Jersey.” 

Advocacy Priorities 

During each of the meetings, the NJSBA had the opportunity to promote various federal advocacy priorities, such as: 

• Fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. While the IDEA stipulates that Congress should be funding 40% of the additional cost required to educate students with disabilities, current funding is under 15%, costing New Jersey hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  

• Keeping public funds with public schools and opposing any federal efforts that divert public funds away from K-12 public education, including in the form of voucher programs. 

• Ensuring that schools remain a safe learning environment for all students and that school staff members are not forced to participate in immigration enforcement activities. 

• Providing greater and sustained federal resources that expand access to mental health services and support, as well as funding to support school districts in hiring mental health professionals. 

• Implementing policies – such as loan forgiveness for teachers and principals – that empower districts to recruit and retain high quality staff to alleviate school staff shortages. 

• Promoting legislation and/or federal funding necessary to provide for a permanent universal free school meals program. 

The visit to Capitol Hill also provided NJSBA officers and staff insight into the fast-moving developments in federal education policy in recent weeks. The Association continues to monitor how various directives and executive orders related to immigration enforcement, spending freezes, the potential restructuring of the U.S. Department of Education, and others could affect New Jersey. Throughout the visit, the NJSBA stressed that as the new administration and Congress move forward, what is best for student achievement must remain the top priority.