by Aiden DeMarsey, NJPI Jr. Fellow
Governor Mikie Sherrill, sworn into office last week, enters her term with a full plate of pressing needs for public education. Carrying forward the legacy of her predecessor, she will be charged with addressing the aftermath of S2 funding cuts and ballooning costs for local districts, all while charting a path for her own agenda. As these challenges continue to confront education officials across the state, the central question remains: will Governor Sherrill be willing to make the difficult choices necessary to deliver meaningful improvement for students?
Throughout the campaign, Governor Sherrill shared limited details on her plan for Garden State schools. She spoke about exploring district consolidation and expressed interest in expanding high-impact tutoring programs. But she stopped short of offering a clear plan to address education finance or the persistent structural deficits many districts face year after year. If the state does not act on this growing problem, struggling districts across New Jersey risk falling off a fiscal cliff.
In addition to failing to address the school funding formula and lopsided school district budgets, the Murphy administration refused to explore alternative solutions. With Governor Sherill, this will likely continue to be the case. One issue notably absent from the campaign conversation was the future of the Interdistrict School Choice Program, which has been effectively frozen for more than a decade. IDSC represents a practical, scalable opportunity to expand access to high-performing schools without creating new systems or increasing overall spending. Whether the new administration is willing to revisit and modernize this program will be an early indicator of how seriously it takes both student outcomes and family choice.
During her transition, Governor Sherrill announced a new leader for the Department of Education. Dr. Lily Laux, formerly a senior official at the Texas Education Agency, brings a background in curriculum and learning-loss recovery. While Texas and New Jersey operate very different school systems, Dr. Laux’s experience aligns with the governor’s stated interest in instructional quality. With parent groups and school districts increasingly calling for reforms to state ELA guidance, particularly around phonics and phonological awareness, this appointment signals a greater emphasis on academic fundamentals. That focus will be welcome, but it must be paired with clear accountability for results, not just revised guidance documents.
Over the next four years, the administration will also need to confront the financial reality facing local districts. In accordance with her campaign promises, consolidation of New Jersey’s 695 school districts and operating agencies could reduce administrative costs, but those savings alone will not offset recent spikes in expenses. Rising utility costs, escalating health-care premiums, and the constraints of the 2 percent property-tax cap leave boards and administrators with few tools to balance budgets. Without relief for former S2 districts, whether through targeted aid reform or structural changes, local officials may be forced to cut staff and programs, further straining educational quality and worsening the state’s affordability crisis.
As Governor Sherrill begins her term with large majorities in both houses of the Legislature, she has a rare opportunity to set clear priorities early. That will require more than aligning with familiar stakeholders or preserving the status quo. A key test will be whether her administration is willing to place student achievement at the center of education policy, even when that means challenging entrenched interests. How closely the governor aligns herself with the priorities of organized labor, including the NJEA, versus measurable academic outcomes will shape the trajectory of New Jersey’s schools long after this transition period ends.
New Jersey does not lack in opportunities for education reform. What it has lacked is sustained leadership willing to align funding, choice, and accountability around student success. Governor Sherrill’s early decisions on school choice, fiscal reform, and outcome-driven accountability will determine whether her administration rises to that challenge
