JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Jefferson School District faces a potentially significant deficit due to complications surrounding the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and its long-term impact on ratables and state funding allocations the district has received in recent years.
New legislation has been introduced in the New Jersey General Assembly that aims to offset the Jefferson Township School District’s projected $4.8 million shortfall for the 2026–27 school year.
Bill A4456, sponsored by Aura Dunn (R-25), would make a supplemental appropriation of $4.8 million to provide additional operational aid to Jefferson Township Public Schools.
“It’s a complicated issue,” Dunn said. “The good news is, the attention is there.”
Dunn recently met with the Jefferson High School student council to hear firsthand how potential cuts could affect programs, staffing, and student opportunities.
“I got to hear their view of the harm that this is going to do,” Dunn said. “They motivated me.”
In addition to A4456, Dunn also introduced ACR126, which expresses the Legislature’s intent that the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 be revised to stabilize reductions in State aid to districts experiencing funding volatility.
“We all need to keep fighting,” Mayor Eric Wilsusen said, underscoring the importance of sustained involvement as the State considers potential changes to the funding formula.
Both measures remain in the early stages of the legislative process, with no formal votes taken. However, Dunn expressed cautious optimism.
“I think there are a lot of things working in our favor,” she said. “Sometimes in the political world you feel like it takes forever, but I do feel we are at a moment — there is a breakthrough here.”
