School districts say historic aid little help in fiscal ‘perfect storm’

By: Catherine Carrera, Education and child welfare writer

Outlets: NJ Spotlight

Published: March 18, 2026

Words: 948

Last Updated: 3 days, 7 hours ago

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Health insurance costs rocketing 30% or more. Aging roofs and boilers. Budget shortfalls hitting $100 million.

For New Jersey school districts facing financial pressure like never before, Gov. Mikie Sherrill last week offered some relief: $12.4 billion in school aid, for a $370 million increase. At the same time, she recommended savings to be found in consolidation and shared services among almost 600 school districts. And she committed to adding state Department of Education staff …

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