The New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) celebrated six boards of education during September and October 2026 county school boards association meetings. The honorees, representing six counties, were recognized for board-wide professional development and the work of strengthening effective school governance.
Board Certification recognizes a full board’s commitment to effective governance through group training and continuous improvement. Boards complete 16 board credits to earn the distinction. The Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification builds on that foundation: eligible boards complete 10 additional credits within two years and provide evidence of their emphasis on student achievement.
Mendham Township Board of Education
Morris County | Sept. 23 | Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification
The Mendham Township Board of Education’s first Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification marks a new chapter in a long history of professional learning. The board first earned NJSBA Board Certification in 2004 and was recertified in 2011. In 2022, the current board made certification a renewed goal, achieving Board Certification in 2024 before pursuing the advanced Larsen distinction. Through board retreats, strategic planning, self-evaluation, goal setting and additional governance training, the board continued to build on that foundation. Its Master Board Certification was celebrated Sept. 23 at the Morris County School Boards Association meeting.
Piscataway Township Board of Education
Middlesex County | Oct. 7 | Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification
The Piscataway Township Board of Education earned its first Carole E. Larsen Master Board Certification, recognized Oct. 7 at the Middlesex County School Boards Association meeting. The board has a lengthy certification history, with previous Board Certification periods of 1999–2003, 2007–2011, 2011–2015 and 2016–2020, followed by renewed certification in December 2024. Its more recent professional development has included retreats on effective boardsmanship and the Eight Characteristics of Highly Effective Boards, TEAM Working Styles, a transition workshop with a new chief school administrator and a 2025 superintendent search. The board also examined meeting effectiveness, Robert’s Rules of Order and communication practices as it worked toward this higher distinction.
Montclair Board of Education
Essex County | Sept. 30 | Board Certification
The Montclair Board of Education celebrated its first NJSBA Board Certification at the Sept. 30 Essex County School Boards Association meeting. The board’s professional development has included strategic planning in 2023 and a 2025 retreat examining board self-evaluation results, goal setting, roles and responsibilities, mutual trust in board relationships and the use of committee-of-the-whole meetings versus committees. In 2026, the board continued that work with self-evaluation review and goal setting, student-focused governance and ethics training. Its work also included a superintendent search. Together, these efforts laid the groundwork for the board’s first certification.
Sparta Township Board of Education
Sussex County | Oct. 6 | Board Certification
The Sparta Township Board of Education returned to Board Certification after having previously held the distinction from 2006 to 2010. With significant district growth and many new board members since that earlier certification, the board renewed its focus on governance and professional development. It undertook board goal setting in 2024 and 2025, followed in 2026 by board self-evaluation and goal setting. Board retreats in 2026 addressed chief school administrator evaluation, strategic agendas, Governance Core and True Colors, a program exploring working styles. The board’s achievement was recognized Oct. 6 at the Sussex County School Boards Association meeting.
Haledon Board of Education
Passaic County | Oct. 7 | Board Certification
The Haledon Board of Education was recognized Oct. 7 at the Passaic County School Boards Association meeting for earning Board Certification. Haledon previously held Board Certification from 2001 to 2005, making this recognition a return to a distinction earned more than two decades earlier. Its recent board development work included a superintendent search, board goal setting and ethics training. The new certification recognizes the board’s renewed commitment to shared learning and sound governance for its school community.
Phillipsburg Board of Education
Warren County | Oct. 8 | Board Certification
The Phillipsburg Board of Education achieved NJSBA Board Certification for the first time and was recognized Oct. 8 at the Warren County School Boards Association meeting. As part of its governance development work, the board focused on goal setting, its governance committee and changes to the format of board meetings and committee work. Board members also examined the core values and beliefs that guide their service. These efforts helped establish a collective foundation for the board’s first certification and its ongoing work on behalf of students and the community.
While the six honorees serve communities of different sizes and school configurations, each has made a significant investment in the professional learning and collaborative work essential to effective board service. NJSBA congratulates the Mendham Township, Piscataway Township, Montclair, Sparta Township, Haledon and Phillipsburg boards of education on their achievements and thanks their members for their service to New Jersey’s public school students.
For more information on your board’s route to Board Certification visit: njsba.org/training/board-member-academy/board-certification/ or speak with your Field Service Representative.
