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School board authority in New Jersey

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New Jersey state law makes school boards responsible for governing and managing public school districts in the state. This article details the powers and duties New Jersey law grants to school boards for governing school districts and the constraints on that authority with regard to certain topics.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • New Jersey school boards are required to include diversity and inclusion themes in their curriculum.
  • New Jersey school boards are authorized to remove books from their school libraries, though state law prohibits removal of books based on view point or origin of the book or its author.
  • New Jersey school boards are prohibited from adopting policies requiring parental notification without student consent if a student changes their name or gender identity at school.
  • New Jersey school boards can apply to become interdistrict open enrollment choice districts, though the Commissioner of Education can remove their authority over such in specific circumstances.


    • Types of legal and contractual constraints on school board authority

    See also: Local school board authority across the 50 states

    This page presents the results from Ballotpedia research on school board authority and constraints on that authority in all 50 states as of 2024. School board authority comes from state constitutions and state statutes and can be interpreted or specified by state regulations or court decisions. In addition to authority over district budgets, the selection of a superintendent, and administrative responsibilities, school boards have varying levels of authority over district policy on other topics depending on the state and district.

    There are several sources of legal and contractual constraints on school board policy-making authority which also vary by state or by district.

    • State laws commonly restrict or mandate school board policies on certain topics.
      • Parents' Bills of Rights, which at least 26 states have in statute to some degree, limit the policies school boards are allowed to pass.
    • State rules, guidance, and funding incentives can constrain, mandate, or influence school board policies. These include regulation from state education commissions and superintendents, executive orders from governors, or grant conditions.
    • Federal and state court rulings can dictate whether or not school district policies are compatible with state law or federal law.
    • The federal government, largely through its Department of Education, can promulgate regulations or guidance that influence district policy or make funding contingent on certain policies.
    • Collective bargaining agreements between school districts and teacher unions can create contractual constraints on the policies school boards can pass.
    • State school board associations can influence school board policy or, in some cases. enter into contracts with school boards that can limit school board policy.

    This page features the following sections:

    School board authority over district policy in New Jersey

    Enabling or authorizing statute for the boards of school districts in New Jersey

    See also: Enabling statute

    New Jersey Statute § 18A:10-1 creates school district boards and gives them authority to operate according to state law:[1]

    “

    The schools of each school district shall be conducted, by and under the supervision of a board of education, which shall be a body corporate and which shall be constituted and governed, as provided by this title, for a type I, type II or regional school district, as the case may be, but the State board pursuant to an administrative order issued by authority of section 15 of P.L. 1975, c. 212 (C. 18A:7A-15) may create a State-operated school district which shall be conducted by a State district superintendent.[2]

    		”

    New Jersey operates two types of school districts: Type I and type II.[3][4]

    “

    18A:9-2. Districts included in type I districts

    Type I districts shall include--

    a. Every local school district hereafter established in a city, or in a municipality other than a city which shall become a city, except a municipality in which the provisions of section 18A:9-3 shall be accepted;

    b. Every local school district which was governed, immediately preceding the effective date of this title, by chapter 6 of Title 18 of the Revised Statutes; and

    c. Every local school district in which the provisions of this section shall be accepted;

    and such district shall be subject to the provisions of this title relating to type I districts.

    18A:9-3. Districts included in type II districts

    Type II school districts shall include--

    a. Local school districts as follows:

    1. Every local school district hereafter established in a municipality other than a city, or in a city which shall become a municipality other than a city, except a municipality in which the provisions of section 18A:9-2 shall be accepted;

    2. Every local school district which was governed, immediately preceding the effective date of this title, by chapter 7 of Title 18 of the Revised Statutes;

    3. Every local school district in which the provisions of this section shall be accepted; and

    4. Every consolidated local school district.

    b. Every regional school district;

    and such district shall be subject to the provisions of this title relating to type II districts except as otherwise so provided in the case of regional districts.[2]

    		”

    New Jersey school boards' powers and duties

    New Jersey public school boards of directors are given broad authority to manage the schools in their districts and are given four specific duties or powers to do so. The specific powers and duties include:

    • adopting an official seal
    • enforcing the rules of the state board

    The list of powers and duties school district boards are charged with, among others found throughout different sections of state education law, appears in New Jersey Statutes § 18A:11-1 and are as follows:[5]

    “

    The board shall--

    a. Adopt an official seal;

    b. Enforce the rules of the state board;

    c. Make, amend and repeal rules, not inconsistent with this title or with the rules of the state board, for its own government and the transaction of its business and for the government and management of the public schools and public school property of the district and for the employment, regulation of conduct and discharge of its employees, subject, where applicable, to the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service, of the Revised Statutes; and

    d. Perform all acts and do all things, consistent with law and the rules of the state board, necessary for the lawful and proper conduct, equipment and maintenance of the public schools of the district. [2]

    		”


    School boards administering schools with grades nine-12 are required to include a student representative as a nonvoting member.[6]

    Discretionary duties

    New Jersey school boards are given powers that they are authorized, but not required, to exercise throughout state education law. For example, New Jersey Statutes § 18A:11-8 allows school boards—but does not require them—to adopt a dress code policy:[7]

    “

    2. a. A board of education may adopt a dress code policy to require that students wear a school uniform if the policy is requested by the principal, staff and parents of an individual school and if the board determines that the policy will enhance the school learning environment. Any policy adopted which requires the wearing of a uniform shall include a provision to assist economically disadvantaged students. The board shall hold a public hearing prior to the adoption of the policy and shall not implement the policy with less than three months' notice to the parents or guardians of the students. The specific uniform selected shall be determined by the principal, staff, and parents of the individual school.

    b. The board of education may provide a method whereby parents may choose not to comply with an adopted school uniform policy. If the board provides such a method, a student shall not be penalized academically or otherwise discriminated against nor denied admittance to school if the student's parents choose not to comply with the school uniform policy.

    c. A dress code policy adopted pursuant to this section shall not preclude students who participate in a nationally recognized youth organization which is approved by the board of education from wearing organization uniforms to school on days that the organization has scheduled a meeting.[2]

    		”

    Constraints on New Jersey school boards' authority

    This section tracks constraints on school boards specific to New Jersey as of September 2024. It features constraints on school boards' authority from state law, collective bargaining agreements, and Parents' Bills of Rights.

    Constraint on New Jersey school boards' authority by topic

    This section features constraints on New Jersey school boards' authority on policies related to the following topics:

    Curriculum requirements

    New Jersey requires the following specific topics to be included in each district's curriculum, among other topics:

    • instruction on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders[8]
    • instruction on accomplishments by African Americans in the building and development of America including areas of industry, military, government, the professions, local communities, math, science, medicine, space, architecture, the arts, social institutions, culture, and other aspects of American life[9]
    • instruction on responsible use of social media[10]
    • instruction on diversity and inclusion[11]
    • instruction on climate change[12]
    • instruction on the political, economic, and societal contributions of individuals involved in the labor movement throughout the history of the United States and New Jersey[13]

    Curriculum restrictions

    Ballotpedia could not identify any curricular content prohibited by state statutes, regulations, case law, or collective bargaining agreements.

    Federal law and guidance

    Book bans, removals, and restrictions

    New Jersey school boards have the authority to remove books from school libraries, though state law prohibits school libraries from removing books because of the origin, background, or views of the material or of the author. State law requires school boards to create policies for handling challenges to library books and the removal of library materials.[15]

    Case law:
    The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed local school boards' authority to remove school books in Island Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico by Pico in 1982 but held that school library books are distinct from curricular books, which school boards have more authority to regulate. The ruling held that school boards are charged with inculcating community values and may make curricular decisions accordingly. In Zykan v. Warsaw Community School Corp. in 1980, the Supreme Court held that school boards had discretionary power over curriculum, textbooks, and other educational matters but could not impose religious creeds or "permanently the student’s ability to investigate matters that arise in the natural course of intellectual inquiry,” according to the opinion.[16][17][18]

    Federal guidance


    Parental notification

    New Jersey requires parental notification in the following circumstances, among others:[20]

    • Their student is under the influence of any substance.
    • Their student is found possessing a firearm at school.
    • Their student commits an assault at school or against school personnel or other students.

    Case law:
    A New Jersey appellate court blocked four school districts in the state from adopting policies requiring schools to notify parents that their students changed their name or gender identity at school. This ruling was consistent with state guidance adopted under former Governor Chris Christie (R) that advises school staff to use a student's preferred name and pronouns and advises against notifying parents of a change in their student's gender identity without the student's consent.[21][22]

    Case law: The United States Supreme Court ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor on June 27, 2025, that Montgomery County Board of Education's introduction of LGBTQ+ related storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt outs, placed an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion.[23]

    Discipline

    See also: How does New Jersey compare to other states on school board authority over disciplinary policy?

    New Jersey is one of 47 states that gives school boards authority over district disciplinary policy.

    The text of New Jersey Administrative Code § 6A:16-7.1 is as follows:[24]

    “

    (a) Each district board of education shall develop, adopt, disseminate, and implement a code of student conduct that establishes standards, policies, and procedures for positive student development and student behavioral expectations on school grounds and, as appropriate, for conduct away from school grounds.

    1. The code of student conduct may be based on parent, student, and community involvement that represents, where possible, the composition of the school district's schools and community.

    2. The district board of education shall establish a process for the annual review and update of the code of student conduct.

    3. The code of student conduct shall be disseminated annually to all school staff, students and parents.

    4. The district board of education shall provide to all district board of education employees annual training on the code of student conduct, including training on the prevention, intervention, and remediation of student conduct that violates the district board of education's code of student conduct.

    i. Information on the code of student conduct shall be incorporated into the orientation for new employees.

    5. The district board of education shall provide for the code of student conduct's equitable application. [2]

    		”
    Federal guidance

    School board elections

    See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing in New Jersey, How does New Jersey compare to other states on school board authority over election timing?

    New Jersey is one of 42 states in which school boards do not have authority over the timing of school board elections because state or municipal laws determine school board election dates.

    Click here to read about the laws governing school board elections in New Jersey.

    Public school choice and open enrollment

    See also: School choice in New Jersey

    School boards in New Jersey are permitted, though not required, to adopt interdistrict open enrollment policies. School boards can apply to the Commissioner of Education to become a choice district. The commissioner has the authority to restrict the authority of a choice district to accept students in the future to maintain what the state statute defines as student population diversity. The text of New Jersey Statutes § 18A:36B-17 is as follows:[26]

    “

    4. a. A proposed choice district shall submit an application to the commissioner no later than April 30 in the year prior to the school year in which the choice program will be implemented; except that for the first year of implementation of the program pursuant to P.L.2010, c.65 (C.18A:36B-14 et seq.), the application shall be submitted no later than the date specified by the commissioner. The application shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

    (1) a description of programs and schools and the number of student openings in each school identified by grade level which are available for selection;

    (2) the provision for the creation of a parent information center;

    (3) a description of the student application process and any criteria required for admission; and

    (4) an analysis of the potential impact of the program on student population diversity in all potential participating districts and a plan for maintaining diversity in all potential participating districts, which plan shall not be used to supersede a court-ordered or administrative court-ordered desegregation plan.

    The commissioner shall notify a choice district of the approval or disapproval of its application no later than July 30, and the reasons for disapproval shall be included in the notice; except that for the first year of implementation of the program pursuant to P.L.2010, c.65 (C.18A:36B-14 et seq.), notification shall be no later than the date specified by the commissioner.

    The commissioner shall notify the State Board of Education of the approval of a choice district application and the State board shall include a public notice of the approval on the next agenda for its public monthly meeting.

    b. The commissioner may take appropriate action, consistent with State and federal law, to provide that student population diversity in all districts participating in a choice district program is maintained. Student population diversity shall include, but not be limited to, the ethnic, racial, economic, and geographic diversity of a district's student population. The actions may include, but need not be limited to:

    (1) directing a choice district to take appropriate steps to implement successfully the district's plan for maintaining student population diversity;

    (2) restricting the number of choice students from a sending district or the authority of a choice district to accept choice students in the future; and

    (3) revoking approval of the choice district. Any choice student who is attending a designated school in a choice district at the time of the commissioner's revocation of approval shall be entitled to continue to be enrolled in that school until graduation. [2]

    		”

    Charter schools

    See also: Charter schools in New Jersey, How does New Jersey compare to other states on school board authority over charter schools?

    New Jersey is one of 36 states that grant school boards at least some authority over whether charter schools are issued in their district.

    Charter school applications must be submitted to the Commissioner of Education and to the local school board closest to where the charter school is proposed to be. The local school board recommends their decision for granting or denying the application to the commissioner, though the commissioner has the final say.[27]

    “

    c. An application to establish a charter school shall be submitted to the commissioner and the local board of education or State district superintendent, in the case of a school district under full State intervention, in the school year preceding the school year in which the charter school will be established. Notice of the filing of the application shall be sent immediately by the commissioner to the members of the State Legislature, school superintendents, and mayors and governing bodies of all legislative districts, school districts, or municipalities in which there are students who will be eligible for enrollment in the charter school. The board of education or State district superintendent shall review the application and forward a recommendation to the commissioner within 60 days of receipt of the application. The commissioner shall have final authority to grant or reject a charter application.

    d. The local board of education or a charter school applicant may appeal the decision of the commissioner to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court.[2]

    		”

    Cellphone bans

    See also: How does New Jersey compare to other states on cellphone laws?

    New Jersey is one of 16 states that do not have statewide laws or policies regarding cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.

    Collective bargaining agreements

    Teacher union collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) can constrain school board authority. Teacher CBAs are agreements between a school district and a teachers’ union to establish rights and other contract details for public school employees. CBAs do not have the force of law, but are contractually binding for a set period of time. Within the time set out in the agreement, the school board must comply with the stipulations that were agreed to in the contract. In this way, CBAs can constrain school board authority by giving teachers authority over curriculum, prohibiting school boards from banning books, and establishing certain student or parental rights. They can also determine rights and protections for educators, and conditions for students (such as required recess periods or the amount of standardized testing), among other provisions.

    CBAs vary greatly within and across states in size, topics covered, and constraints they put on school boards. Not all states allow teachers to bargain collectively. As of January 2022, 35 states and the District of Columbia guaranteed K-12 teachers some right to bargain collectively, and six states prohibited public-sector employee collective bargaining by law, which includes public school teachers. The other nine states have no statewide bargaining framework, but local jurisdictions within these states can grant bargaining rights if they choose.[28][29]

    New Jersey school boards are authorized to engage in collective bargaining agreements with school employees, which can constrain their authority over certain district policies.

    For example, though school boards are given authority over the regulation of conduct and the discharge of their employees, the collective bargaining agreement between the Madison Board of Education and the Madison Education Association establishes teacher evaluation procedures that school boards are contractually required to honor when regulating the conduct and employment of teachers.[30]

    “

    Article IX. Evaluation

    A. 1. All observation of the work performance of a teacher shall be conducted openly and with full knowledge of the teacher.

    2. Teachers shall be evaluated by properly certified members of the administrative staff. All evaluations shall be in accordance with New Jersey law.

    3. Observations of a teacher’s performance shall be made as often as necessary in order to provide the observer with an accurate and valid appraisal of the teacher’s effectiveness.

    4. A teacher shall be given a copy of any observation report prepared by their observer. The teacher shall be given the opportunity to provide a written reaction to the observation if they so requests.

    5. The reports shall include the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the teacher, and specific suggestions for improvement.

    6. Prior to the final report of evaluation and recommendation by the principal to the Superintendent, every teacher shall have received a minimum of one observation or a mid-year project progress report submitted by the teacher.

    7. The principal’s annual evaluation and recommendation to the Superintendent will be made known to the teacher prior to receipt of their contract for the succeeding year.

    B. A teacher shall have the right, upon request, to review the contents of their personnel file.

    C. 1. The performance of each teaching staff member shall be evaluated annually by the members of the administrative supervisory staff responsible for the individual’s supervision. This evaluation shall consider the individual’s total contribution to the school with major emphasis placed upon the performance in the classroom and its effect on the learning of the pupils.

    2. Individual written comments regarding the contributions made by all professional staff members will be forwarded to the Superintendent by each building principal during March of each year. A copy of the comments will be given to the staff member concerned.

    3. Upon reaching the final determination as to whether a teaching staff member will be renewed, the Board of Education, through the Superintendent, shall notify, in writing, each such staff member of this decision by May 15. Included shall be the preparation level, years of teaching, military service credit, and placement on the guide. Any teacher not being retained may have a statement in writing from the Superintendent of reasons, if requested. [2]

    		”

    Parents' bill of rights

    See also: How does New Jersey compare to other states on Parents' Bills of Rights?

    New Jersey is one of 24 states that does not have a statewide Parents' Bill of Rights.



    How does New Jersey compare to other states?

    This section compares New Jersey's school board authority and constraints with those of other states on select topics. These topics include authority over discipline policy, school board election timing, charter schools, cellphone use policy, as well as constraints on school boards' authority from Parents' Bills of Rights.

    Book bans, removals, and restrictions

    Twenty-four (24) states have no laws regulating the curation of school library books. Twenty-six (26) states, however, have passed laws restricting school board authority over school library book curation. These laws typically fall into one of the following categories:

    • Ten states require school boards to develop a policy for the removal of books, including creating a way for the public to challenge school library books.
    • Eight states prohibit school boards from removing books on the grounds that they represent specific ideologies or perspectives.
    • Six states prohibit books if they contain specific material, including sexual content or anything deemed harmful to minors.
    • Five states require school boards to establish local boards to review challenges to library books.
    • Two states require school boards to allow parents to view a catalogue of books.

    Some states have adopted multiple types of these policies.

    Discipline

    • School boards in 47 states have authority over disciplinary policy in their district.
    • School boards in two states have authority over disciplinary policy for specific circumstances, such as suspension, expulsion, or bullying.
    • Individual schools in one state create their own disciplinary policy.

    School board elections

    School boards' authority over the timing of school board elections varies by state.

    • School boards in 42 states do not have authority over election timing;
    • School boards in five states can choose from limited options when to hold school board elections;
    • School boards in two states can choose from a date range when to hold school board elections;
    • The school board in Hawaii is not elected.

    The map below shows the types of authority school boards in the states have to determine the timing of school board elections.

    Charter schools

    See also: Charter schools in the United States

    Some school boards in the U.S. are authorized to approve or deny applications for charter schools in their district, while state boards of education hold the authority in other states. In some states, school boards can authorize charter schools, but there are other entities besides school boards that can also authorize charter schools or to which a school board decision can be appealed.

    • 10 states do not authorize school boards to make decisions on whether to approve new charter schools in their districts.
    • 36 states do authorize school boards to approve new charter schools in their districts, deny approval to new charter schools, or both.
    • 3 states do not have laws governing charter school authorization.
    • 1 state allows school districts to apply to the state board of education to be a charter school district.

    State cellphone laws

    See also: State policies on cellphone use in K-12 public schools

    In most states, school boards or superintendents often set policies on cellphones in public schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), around 76% of schools said they banned the non-academic use of cellphones or smartphones during school hours during the 2021-22 school year, down from 91% in 2010.[31]

    Beginning with Florida in 2023, some states enacted laws or policies to regulate student cellphone usage in public schools. Twenty-six (26) states had statewide laws or policies restricting cellphone use in K-12 classrooms or schools as of June 2025. Four states had requirements for all school district boards to adopt a policy on cellphones but without specific requirements for those policies. Four other states had policies encouraging school districts to establish restrictions on cellphone use in the classroom.


    Parents' Bill of Rights

    See also: Parents' Bill of Rights in education

    If state law explicitly provides certain rights to parents, it can constrain the policy-making authority of school boards. These sections of statute are often referred to within statute and are categorized here as Parents' Bills of Rights. In some states, they are education-specific, regarding the rights a parent has to be involved in their child's public education. Common examples include notification requirements, opt-out rights, and records access. Other Parents' Bills of Rights are more general, commonly affording parents a right to direct the upbringing of their child.

    • 26 states have enacted a statewide Parents' Bill of Rights
    • 24 states have not enacted a Parents' Bill of Rights.

    Noteworthy events

    See also: Overview of trends in K-12 curricula development
    • New Jersey governor approves bill prohibiting school boards from requiring employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters (2025): New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed Senate Bill 3302 on September 3, 2025, prohibiting all employers, including school districts, from requiring employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. The bill defined political matters as matters that relate to elections for political office, political party, legislation, regulation, and the employee's decision to join or support any political party or political, civic, community, fraternal, or labor organization or association. This bill prohibits what Insider New Jersey called captive audience meetings, which it described as mandatory meetings that the publication said are used to dissuade employees from joining labor unions.[32][33]
    • New Jersey court rules schools cannot notify parents of change in gender identity without student consent (2025): A New Jersey appellate court blocked four school districts in the state from adopting policies requiring schools to notify parents that their students changed their name or gender identity at school. This ruling was consistent with state guidance adopted under former Governor Chris Christie (R) that advises school staff to use a student's preferred name and pronouns and advises against notifying parents of a change in their student's gender identity without the student's consent.[34][35]
    • New Jersey law prohibits book bans in public and school libraries (2024): New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed Assembly Bill 3446 into law on December 9, 2024, which prohibited public and school libraries from removing books because of the origin, background, or views of the library material or those contributing to its creation, according to the text of the bill. It included protections for librarians from civil and criminal liabilities relating to the curation of library materials.[36]
    • Coalition of attorneys general files amicus brief in support of incorporating LGBTQ+ books in curriculum (2023): A coalition of 19 attorneys general filed an amicus brief on October 31, 2023, in support of Maryland's Montgomery County Board of Education’s policy to allow LGBTQ+ books to be incorporated into the curriculum. Montgomery County Public Schools faced legal challenges from a group of parents after implementing a policy in the 2022-2023 school year to incorporate LGBTQ+ books into their curriculum. The coalition included attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.[37]
    • New Jersey governor signs bill requiring media literacy (2023): Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed a bill on January 4, 2023, that proposed requiring K-12 instruction on information literacy, the first state to do so. SB 588 proposed mandating the New Jersey Department of Education to develop Student Learning Standards in “information literacy.” Murphy stated, “Our democracy remains under sustained attack through the proliferation of disinformation that is eroding the role of truth in our political and civic discourse.” The law became effective immediately.[38][39]
    • New Jersey incorporates climate education into K-12 curriculum standards for public schools (2022): New Jersey became the first state to incorporate what the state called climate change education into K-12 curriculum standards at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The State Board of Education first announced that they would adopt the new curriculum standards in June 2020 after New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy proposed the curriculum changes. The updated standards aimed “to prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens and the impact it has on our local and global communities as well as to act in informed and sustainable ways,” according to a press release.[40][41]

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Justia, "NJ Rev Stat § 18A:10-1 (2024),"
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    3. ↑ Justia, "18A:9-2. Districts included in type I districts," accessed March 20, 2025
    4. ↑ [https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-18a/section-18a-9-3/ Justia, "NJ Rev Stat § 18A:9-3 (2024)
    5. ↑ Justia, "18A:11-1. General mandatory powers and duties," accessed March 20, 2025
    6. ↑ Justia, "18A:12-1.3 Requiring student representative as nonvoting member of school district board that includes grades nine through 12; procedure; duties." accessed March 20, 2025
    7. ↑ Justia, "18A:11-8. Adoption of dress code policy for schools permitted," accessed March 20, 2025
    8. ↑ Justia, "18A:35-4.44 Asian American, Pacific Islander history, contributions; instruction included in curriculum." accessed March 25, 2025
    9. ↑ Justia, "18A:35-4.43 Infusion of African American accomplishments into school curricula." accessed March 25, 2025
    10. ↑ Justia, "18A:35-4.27 Instruction on responsible use of social media." accessed March 25, 2025
    11. ↑ Justia, "18A:35-4.36a Curriculum to contain instruction on diversity and inclusion." accessed March 25, 2025
    12. ↑ Governor Phil Murphy, "New Jersey Students Enter First School Year With K-12 Climate Change Education," September 6, 2022
    13. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill A1682," accessed September 4, 2025
    14. ↑ The White House, "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," accessed March 14, 2025
    15. ↑ Associated Press, "New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries," accessed March 25, 2025
    16. ↑ Education Law Center, Pennsylvania, "Challenging book bans: What can you do," September 18, 2024
    17. ↑ Law.Justia.com, "Island Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico by Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982)," September 18, 2024
    18. ↑ Law.Justia.com, "Zykan v. Warsaw Community School Corp., 631 F.2d 1300 (7th Cir. 1980)," October 11, 2024
    19. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax," accessed January 28, 2025
    20. ↑ National Center for Safe Supportive Learning Environments, "New Jersey School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Parental Notification," accessed March 25, 2025
    21. ↑ New Jersey Spotlight News, "NJ court rules on schools outing trans students," accessed March 25, 2025
    22. ↑ app. "Should NJ schools be required to notify parents if their child is transgender?" accessed March 25, 2025
    23. ↑ The United States Supreme Court, "Mahmoud et al. v. Taylor et al." accessed July 7, 2025
    24. ↑ Casetext, "Section 6A:16-7.1 - Code of student conduct," accessed March 25, 2025
    25. ↑ The White House, "Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies," April 30, 2025
    26. ↑ Justia, "18A:36B-17 Application by district for choice program." accessed March 25, 2025
    27. ↑ Casetext, "Section 18A:36A-4 - Establishment of charter school," accessed March 25, 2025
    28. ↑ National Education Association, "Collective Bargaining: What it is and How it Works", accessed October 3, 2024.
    29. ↑ National Education Association, "The Benefits of Collective Bargaining in Education", accessed October 3, 2024
    30. ↑ [https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1489/MPS/2785385/MEA_Agreement_2022-2026.pdf Madison Public Schools, "2022-2026 Agreement between the Madison Board of Education and the Madison Education Association, Inc." accessed March 25, 2025]
    31. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures: Selected school years, 1999-2000 through 2021-22," accessed August 8, 2024
    32. ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Bill S3302," accessed September 4, 2025
    33. ↑ Insider New Jersey, "Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Strengthening Workers’ Rights and Labor Education," accessed September 4, 2025
    34. ↑ New Jersey Spotlight News, "NJ court rules on schools outing trans students," accessed March 25, 2025
    35. ↑ app. "Should NJ schools be required to notify parents if their child is transgender?" accessed March 25, 2025
    36. ↑ LegiScan, "New Jersey Assembly Bill 3446 - Freedom to Read Act," accessed January 3, 2025
    37. ↑ Rob Bonta Attorney General, "Attorney General Bonta Joins Multistate Coalition in Effort to Support Curriculum Inclusivity for Transgender Students," October 31, 2023
    38. ↑ “New Jersey.gov,” “Governor Murphy Signs Bipartisan Legislation Establishing First in the Nation K-12 Information Literacy Education,” accessed on November 15, 2023
    39. ↑ “New Jersey Legislature,“ “Bill S588 ScsAcaAca (SCS/2R),” accessed on November 15, 2023
    40. ↑ Governor Phil Murphy, "New Jersey Students Enter First School Year With K-12 Climate Change Education," September 6, 2022
    41. ↑ NPR, "Public school teachers in New Jersey add climate change to curriculum," August 28, 2022
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