TRENTON — New Jersey is launching a statewide effort to strengthen its school funding system and ensure every student has access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to succeed. Through a collaborative, stakeholder-driven process, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) will work with families, educators, school leaders, legislators, advocates, and community partners to identify opportunities for improvement.

The initiative, announced by the Sherrill administration, will include an online public learning series, stakeholder engagement sessions, and the creation of a statewide steering committee to examine the state’s school funding formula and recommend improvements. According to the administration, the effort follows concerns raised by educators, families, and community members that the current funding system is not adequately meeting the needs of all students, despite record investments in public education.

“Ensuring every student has access to a world-class education is our top priority. This effort is about listening to communities, understanding what students and schools need to succeed, and making sure our school funding system delivers for our kids,” said Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “Education spending is the single largest investment our state makes year to year, and we have a responsibility to ensure we are getting the best return on every dollar spent. By reforming our funding system, we can ensure resources are directed where they have the greatest impact, creating pathways to success for students, strengthening communities, and supporting long-term economic growth.”

The Department of Education said the outreach process will focus on improving transparency, accountability, funding stability, and predictability, while examining ways to better address students’ needs and reduce cost pressures on school districts.

“Our goal is simple: make sure every student has access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to succeed,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Lily Laux.

This fall, NJDOE will convene a statewide steering committee, led by Commissioner Laux and supported by The Hunt Institute, a national nonpartisan education policy organization, to review New Jersey’s school funding system and help identify opportunities for improvement.

Residents can view the NJDOE’s Learning Series, including a video titled “NJ State Aid 101,” to better understand how school funding works in New Jersey. Those interested in staying informed can sign up for email updates on the New Jersey School Funding Outreach Project, including news, events, and resources.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Jefferson Arts Committee will host a free summer concert Friday, August 14, at the Jefferson Township Gazebo, located at the Jefferson Township Municipal Complex, 1033 Weldon Road, Oak Ridge.

The concert features Some Guys and a Broad, a classic rock cover band named Best Cover Band in the Hudson Valley for three years. The group specializes in Woodstock-era music as well as other rock, blues and R&B, performing songs by artists including Tina Turner, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Linda Ronstadt.

Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until 9:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket, and the event is bring-your-own for snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Free parking, family-friendly seating, carry-in/carry-out trash policies and a dedicated portable restroom will be available on site. Frank Capello will return with his Lil Ice Trike Co. ice cream truck, offering frozen treats for sale.

All concerts are free, though free-will donations are appreciated to help fund the series. The summer concert series concludes with a final show Friday, August 21. In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be relocated to the Jefferson Township High School auditorium at 1010 Weldon Road; snacks and beverages are not permitted inside the auditorium.

For more information, contact the Jefferson Arts Committee at (201) 230-8879 or (973) 697-3828, or by email at [email protected].

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — The Township Council has not yet scheduled a meeting to fill the seat vacated by Councilman Dan Schultz, even as a state law deadline approaches.

Schultz, a Republican, resigned July 23. He was serving a term set to expire December 31, 2028. His departure leaves the governing body with four members: Council President Josh Kalish, Vice President Barbie Garruto, Robert Birmingham and Melissa Senatore.

At the council’s regular meeting on Wednesday, August 5, Kalish was on vacation and did not attend.

Because Schultz was elected as the nominee of a political party, New Jersey’s Municipal Vacancy Law, New Jersey Statutes Annotated 40A:16-11, governs the process for replacing him. Under the statute, the municipal committee of the departing member’s party had fifteen days from the vacancy to present three names to the governing body. The Jefferson Township Republican Committee has put forward three nominees: Bob Vander Ploeg, Sheila Brown and Yvonne Ioffredo. The council now has thirty days from the date of the vacancy, or until approximately August 22, to appoint one of the three nominees.

The council cannot reject the slate or select someone outside it. A 1990 amendment to the law removed a governing body’s discretion to leave a party-nominated seat vacant.

If the council fails to act within the thirty-day window, whether through inaction or a deadlocked vote, the choice reverts to the Republican Committee itself, which would then have fifteen days to appoint one of the same three nominees. The New Jersey Supreme Court confirmed that process in its decision in Linden Democratic Committee v. City of Linden, ruling that a deadlocked council forfeits the appointment to the party committee.

The council’s next regular meeting is not scheduled until September 2, after the statutory deadline, meaning a special meeting would need to be called for the council to act in time.

Whoever is appointed will serve only until the November general election, when voters will elect a council member to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, which runs through December 31, 2028.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Jefferson Township Council Meeting – August 5, 2026

Click here to download the agenda.

• Eric F. Wilsusen (R) – Mayor
• Republican Party — Term expires December 31, 2026

1. Robert “Bob” Birmingham (R) – Councilman
   • Republican Party — Term expires December 31, 2028
2. Josh Kalish (R) – Council President
   • Republican Party — Term expires December 31, 2026
3. Melissa Senatore (R) – Councilwoman
   • Republican Party — Term expires December 31, 2026
4. Barbie Garruto (R) – Council Vice President

JEFFERSON — The Jefferson Township school community is mourning the loss of longtime educator and administrator Dr. Michael Frank Valenti Jr., who died on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the age of 56.

Valenti, a Mount Arlington resident, dedicated more than two decades of his professional career to Jefferson Township Public Schools, serving as a principal and touching the lives of generations of students, families, teachers and staff members.

According to his obituary from Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home, Valenti was born March 20, 1970, in San Gabriel, California, to Mary Tallon Valenti and the late Michael F. Valenti Sr. He was raised in Southern California before moving to New Jersey after high school and eventually settling in Mount Arlington.

Valenti earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy for kindergarten through grade 12 education and devoted his career to education.

For more than 20 years, Valenti served as a principal in the Jefferson Township school district. He spent years leading White Rock Elementary School and was reassigned as principal of Jefferson Township High School effective July 1, 2025. At the time, the district announced that Valenti was on an extended medical leave and said the school community continued to keep him in its thoughts. Jefferson Township Public Schools

In June, Valenti was among 20 retiring Jefferson Township educators and staff members recognized for their combined hundreds of years of service to the district. Valenti was honored for 20 years of service.