Governor Mikie Sherrill’s proposed $60.7 billion state budget would have very different impacts on four Union County school districts with the same legislative representation, with two seeing major funding cuts, one getting a big increase, and the other staying close to the same.
Under the Fiscal Year 2027 proposal, Elizabeth schools would lose $1,616,638 in state aid, a 0.27 percent reduction from current funding levels. Union Township schools face a $1,682,113 cut, representing a 3 percent decrease — the maximum reduction permitted under the governor’s spending plan.
Meanwhile, Roselle Borough schools would gain $3,033,229, a 6 percent increase, and Kenilworth Borough schools would receive an additional $19,310, a 0.29 percent bump.
The four districts are all represented by Senator Joseph P. Cryan, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, and Assemblyman Ed Rodriguez. The lawmakers have not said whether they are willing to rob their two biggest constituencies to give homeowners in the two smaller communities a tax break.
Elizabeth, the state’s fourth-largest city, would see its total K-12 aid decrease from $597.4 million to $595.8 million.
Maria Sanchez, a parent of two Elizabeth public school students, expressed concern about the reduction.
“When you’re in a district where so many families are struggling, every dollar matters,” Sanchez said. “Losing more than $1.6 million means real questions about what programs or positions might be on the chopping block.”
“Cryan’s not just a state senator collecting an $82,000 paycheck for that part-time job,” Sanchez said. “He’s also the executive director of the Middlesex County Utilities Authority, raking in a staggering $328,837.37 a year.”
Cryan’s annual taxpayer-funded salary of $411,000 is over six and a half times the median income of $62,114 in Elizabeth, where many struggling homeowners face higher tax bills to make up for state aid cuts.
Union Township schools would see total aid drop from $56.1 million to $54.4 million. Thomas Kearney, a Union Township taxpayer and father of three, questioned the timing of the reduction.
“You campaign on affordability, and then your budget delivers a $1.7 million hit to our schools,” Kearney said. “It makes you wonder if anyone in Trenton is actually paying attention to the spreadsheets and what these numbers mean for local property taxes.”
Cryan, apparently more focused on his own paycheck than protecting children in his hometown, slapped the face of every taxpayer, parent, teacher, and Union Township student again last year, with another $1.7 million school funding cut.
While Elizabeth and Union are losers, Roselle stands to benefit significantly, with aid rising from $50.6 million to $53.6 million.
A Roselle resident whose niece attends the district’s middle school welcomed the news.
“Roselle has always had to do more with less,” Williams said. “An extra $3 million means something real — maybe smaller class sizes, maybe additional support for kids who are struggling.”
In Kenilworth, where aid would increase modestly from $6.74 million to $6.75 million, parent Michael Petruska offered a measured response.
“Nineteen thousand dollars won’t transform the district, but it might cover a few classroom supplies or help with a program that was on the bubble,” Petruska said. “In a small district, every little bit helps.”
The Sherrill administration characterizes the budget as providing record overall education funding while introducing stability to a system long plagued by volatility.
The proposal caps year-to-year funding changes at 3 percent for reductions and 6 percent for increases, and shifts to using actual special education enrollment figures rather than census-based estimates.
Education Commissioner Dr. Lily Laux said the administration remains committed to “equitable opportunities for academic growth” across all districts. The governor’s office points to expanded preschool funding, mental health initiatives, and tutoring programs as evidence of broader investment in education.
The budget proposal represents a $12.4 billion commitment to K-12 education statewide, an increase of $372 million from the prior year. Every county would see a net increase in direct K-12 aid under the plan, according to administration officials.
Under Sherrill’s proposed record $12.4 billion K-12 school aid plan, Newark stands as the biggest winner with a staggering $60.6 million increase, while 167 districts across the state would see cuts.
Other than Elizabeth, which is the state’s fourth most populous municpality, major urban districts are receiving the largest funding boosts.
The maximum permitted reduction capped at 3% to prevent steeper losses.
“Now that the formula would finally deliver long-overdue increases to districts that were shortchanged, the state budget overrides the formula to artificially cap the aid increases they are rightfully due,” said Republican Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, adding, “This is simply unfair to students, families, and taxpayers in communities that have been carrying the burden for far too long.”
Danielle Farrie of the Education Law Center noted that capping cuts prevents disruption, as districts can’t easily replace lost state aid due to the 2% property tax cap.
While capping increases is “not ideal” and leaves some underfunded, she called it “understandable” given the state’s broader budget crunch.
Farrie praised other provisions like enrollment-based special ed funding and multi-year averages for property values, arguing, “I think we need to codify these changes in law… The changes are necessary.”
New Jersey has some of the most racially segregated public schools in the United States — despite being one of few states whose constitution bans racial separation and isolation in education.
State law gives the Legislature until June 30 to approve a final budget. Public hearings on the proposal are expected to begin in the coming weeks.