At its quarterly meeting, the New Jersey School Board Association’s Legislative Committee welcomed Chris Williams, the new chief of staff at the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).
Dr. Tom Connors, NJSBA’s Vice President of Finance and Interim Vice President of Legislation/Resolutions, opened the meeting by greeting committee members and other attendees. NJSBA President Michael Jacobs, Executive Director/CEO Dr. Timothy Purnell, and Chief Membership Engagement Officer Ray Pinney welcomed new and returning committee members. They highlighted the importance of statewide advocacy efforts. The committee approved the minutes from the Dec. 6, 2025, meeting and heard from Jesse Young, who has rejoined NJSBA as Director of Governmental Relations.
Vice President Connors then introduced guest speaker Chris Williams. Williams began in his new position of NJDOE Chief of Staff earlier this year, following Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s inauguration and the nomination of Dr. Lily Laux to become NJDOE commissioner. Williams began by providing an overview of the new administration’s priorities and recent developments, including highlights of the governor’s FY2027 proposed state budget.
Jonathan Pushman, NJSBA’s Senior Director of Advocacy, moderated a conversation with Williams that covered a series of issues important to school board members. Williams discussed the challenges and progress made in implementing new educational initiatives, including adaptive testing and communication with stakeholders; outlined key priorities of the administration, such as school funding, expanding preschool, addressing teacher shortages, improving literacy, and enhancing student mental health services; and highlighted efforts to control costs and explore shared services. He also touched on K-12 formula aid details in the governor’s proposed budget, including an additional $372 million in funding and continued use of special education enrollment in special education aid calculations, while acknowledging the need for further reforms to modernize the formula and improve outcomes for all students, regardless of zip code. Pushman emphasized the governor’s Action Teams’ collaborative approach and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including direct communication with Commissioner Laux.
Governmental Relations Update
NJSBA’s Governmental Relations department dedicated the remainder of the meeting to a recap of the proposed FY27 state budget and a rundown of pending legislation and newly enacted laws of interest to school districts. Harrison Silver, NJSBA’s Legislative Advocate, covered the PK-12 education highlights of the proposed budget, which were recently covered in School Board Notes. Legislation of note from the end of the 2024-2025 legislative session included S-3695/A-4882 (P.L.2025, c.195), which requires guidelines on the student use of internet-enabled devices to be developed by NJDOE and a policy to be adopted by the governing body of each public school, and A-2784/S-2548 (P.L.2025, c.234), which authorizes a school district that moves its annual school election to November to submit separate proposals for additional spending for the current budget year and for the subsequent budget year at its annual election. The presentation also discussed noteworthy bills that have moved or been introduced in the 2026-2027 legislative session, including S-1807, which would require municipalities to share certain payments in lieu of property taxes (PILOT) revenue with school districts, and S-3382, which would increase the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s bonding limit for the state share of school facilities projects, subject to voter approval.
Finally, the Governmental Relations department noted that it will be hosting a webinar on the details of the FY27 proposed state budget on Tuesday, March 24. NJSBA members may register online.
The next meeting will take place on May 30, 2026.