NJSBA AT YOUR SERVICE
Negotiations Data Portal – NJSBA maintains a comprehensive database of teacher contract bargaining data, including settlement rates and board achievements, salary guide data and longevity summaries, a compilation of teachers’ collective negotiation agreements, and a new report generator that allows you to select the parameters of the settlement and salary guide data reports with the ability to download your selection into a spreadsheet or a report. For access, visit the NJSBA website at njsba.org/services/labor-relations.
School Board Notes, April-21-2026
2025 Unsung Superhero in Education Spotlight: Kenny Sinnott
Capitol Watch: Spring 2026, April 21, 2026
The quarterly newsletter of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Governmental Relations Department provides updates on legislation that could impact school districts in the Garden State. For NJSBA Education News anytime, visit the NJSBA website homepage, and scroll down to News and Resources.
Chalkbeat
Newark teens jumped through hurdles to vote in Tuesday’s school board election
Teenager Fatoumata Bah joined her peers on Tuesday to vote in the Newark school board election, where the city’s 16- and 17-year-olds could participate for a second year in a row. What the 17-year-old didn’t expect was how much time and effort it would actually take to vote.
Meet Leon Smith, the 2026 National Teacher of the Year
When Leon Smith was a kid at camp, adults would tap him to keep an eye on younger children and make a point of praising how well he handled the responsibility. It sparked a thought — probably helped along by the fact that both his parents were educators — that teaching might be the way he could make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.
NJ.com
Every elementary student at one NJ school is about to be reassigned – (MSN)
Old Bridge school officials are moving ahead with a plan to reorganize several elementary schools in the township, a change that will affect one school’s entire student body.
NJ Spotlight
NJ makes preschool gains as Sherrill funding increase on horizon
State falling short, though, on enrollment in poorest districts, and aides are less educated than ideal, Rutgers report says.
New Jersey Globe
Non-adult voting in Newark is a bust
The total number of votes cast in yesterday’s Newark school board election by 16- and 17-year-olds was a mere 45, a ridiculously minuscule number that could mark the end of the pilot program.
NJ Patch
Severe Budget Cuts for West Orange Schools Spark Outcry at Board Meeting
The West Orange school district is facing a $14 million gap as it fights a losing battle with rising costs. Dozens of jobs are on the line.
Here’s The Latest with Closing Schools in Middletown
The NJ Education Commissioner could issue an emergency halt to the school closings, but the state has given no indication it will intervene.
TAPinto.net
Couple Residents Speak Out Against Potential for Restricting Access to Books
READINGTON – The debate over what students should be allowed to read in Readington Township schools continued at the board of education’s April 14 meeting.
Berkeley Heights Schools Sought PILOT Relief. The Township Said No. The Question of Who Pays Remains
BERKELEY HEIGHTS – After nearly three months of requests from Berkeley Heights school officials seeking financial relief tied to residential developments operating under PILOT agreements, township officials delivered a formal response: the township cannot share the revenue — at least not at this time.
Kennedy High School to Launch Senior Project Pilot Program for Graduating Students
PATERSON – Graduating seniors at John F. Kennedy High School will soon have the opportunity to step outside the traditional classroom and into hands-on learning through a new pilot program set to begin this spring.
West Orange High School Excels at the 2026 FCCLA Spring Leadership Conference
WEST ORANGE – Student designers earned an impressive total of 12 medals, competing against chapters from across the state. West Orange students brought home five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals, demonstrating their continued excellence, creativity, and dedication to their craft.
