Public school superintendents have raised alarm, warning state lawmakers that any cuts proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration to the U.S. Department of Education will disproportionately impact marginalized students. These cuts could undermine vital programs and services that these students rely on, especially those who are already disadvantaged in terms of resources and opportunities.
In New Jersey, the school funding model is largely based on property taxes, with the majority of funding coming from state and local sources, while a smaller portion is provided by the federal government. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2020-21 school year, only 5.3% of the education revenue in New Jersey came from federal sources. This means that New Jersey schools are especially dependent on state-level support, which could be at risk if federal funding is reduced or eliminated.
President Trump has expressed plans to dismantle the federal Department of Education, which could result in a significant decrease in federal funding for New Jersey schools. While the specifics of these plans are still unclear, Trump would need the support of Congress to fully eliminate the department. If this happens, it could have serious consequences for schools, especially for those that serve New Jersey kids who rely on federally funded programs to address their unique needs.
“Our hope is that none of this will come to pass and the people in Washington will work to improve the federal D.O.E. and not tear it apart in a way that will be both confusing and concerning for the school leaders of the state, as well as possibly negatively affecting our students and their families,” said Melanie Schulz, director of government relations for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, at a Joint Committee on the Public Schools meeting in Trenton on Tuesday.
Superintendents who testified during the meeting emphasized the critical role that the federal education department plays in funding programs for marginalized students. They described the department as an essential civil rights organization that helps distribute funding to students in need, including those with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students in high-poverty school districts. They urged the New Jersey Department of Education to be ready to step in and provide support to students if federal funding cuts are enacted.
“Historically marginalized students are the ones who’ll be the most impacted by the loss of federal funding,” said Scott Feder, superintendent of the South Brunswick School District. “The kind of money we’re talking about is not replaceable unless the state of New Jersey is going to fork up probably between 800 [million] to a billion [dollars].”
For many school districts, including those serving New Jersey kids, the loss of federal funding would mean cutting essential programs that help keep students on track. Feder further explained that if federal funding is cut, New Jersey would need to decide whether to continue funding programs that were previously supported by the federal government.
South Brunswick’s budget relies on federal funding for around 3% of its total revenue, or about $5 million. Feder pointed out that if this funding were lost, the district would face tough decisions, including cutting $5 million worth of programs and services. This could translate into laying off up to 70 teachers, which would have a devastating impact on the quality of education for New Jersey kids. Feder added, “If we stay flat — no new state aid, no new federal funding, nothing else — and we maximize the tax levy impact, most districts will be down somewhere between 2 and 4% of their operating budgets for the next school year,” which is a significant financial gap.
In South Brunswick, the district would face a budget shortfall of approximately $3 million next year if no new funding comes through. This number could escalate to as high as $8 million if federal funding is reduced. These figures highlight the deep financial challenges that schools will face if federal education cuts become a reality.
Hope Grant, assistant superintendent in the Trenton Public School District, pointed out that federal funding is especially crucial for districts like Trenton, which faces one of the highest poverty rates in New Jersey. Many of Trenton’s students start their education at a disadvantage due to factors like inadequate prenatal care, limited access to books, and other challenges. Federal Title I funding, which is specifically designed for high-poverty districts, helps bridge this gap by providing services such as mental health support, high-impact tutoring, and extended learning opportunities before and after school and on weekends.
Grant also explained that federal funding supports the district’s universal free and reduced-cost lunch program, ensuring that all students have access to at least one meal each day. “Without those dollars, we are now saying that your ability to have breakfast and lunch is a privilege, and our children should not have to see breakfast and lunch as a privilege. That should be a right that is embedded in every single student in our district, in our city,” she said.
In addition to supporting academic programs, federal funds in Trenton are used to combat chronic absenteeism. This initiative has been successful, with nearly 600 in-person meetings with families to help improve attendance rates. Losing this funding could have a direct impact on these efforts, leading to further barriers for students in need.
Kelli Eppley, assistant superintendent for the Manville School District, shared that only 1% of the district’s budget comes from federal funding, but that small amount makes a big difference. Manville used Title I funds to offer summer school and tutoring programs, which helped 85% of participating students show accelerated growth. “The loss of these funds would create significant gaps in the services our students depend on, further widening the achievement gap,” Eppley said. “These programs will end if we lose our funding.”
Federal funding is also vital for special education programs. Julie Borst, executive director of Save Our Schools New Jersey, highlighted that while the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is supposed to cover 40% of the cost of educating students with disabilities, it has historically never funded more than 17% of the costs. In 2024, federal funding covered just 14.7% of the costs, leaving districts with a significant shortfall. Superintendents and school business administrators warned that further cuts to IDEA would force districts to shift more funds from general education programs to special education, straining their budgets even further.
Kara Huber, school business administrator for the Lenape Regional High School District, described the impact of federal cuts on her district, which has a larger percentage of special education students than the state average. Her district is currently unfunded for 167 special education students who receive services. Lenape Regional High School District receives $1.5 million in IDEA funding, and without this critical support, the district would struggle to meet the needs of its special education students. “Without the essential support, our ability to provide the required services for our special education students would be compromised, placing even more of a burden on our general education programs,” Huber said. “The only way that we make up those funds is by taking away from essentially our general education.”
Finally, Jackie Burke, executive director of the Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, warned that cuts to federal funding could also harm career and technical education programs in New Jersey. The federal government allocated $29 million to the state Department of Education for fiscal year 2025, which helps fund industry-standard equipment for vocational programs such as industrial ovens for culinary courses and laser welders for welding classes. If these funds are lost, it could affect not only the schools but also the businesses and employers who rely on the skilled workforce that these programs help create.
“Loss of this aid does not solely affect schools. It would also be detrimental to the many businesses and employers who rely on the education and technical training our students receive to fill positions that allow them to continue to grow and operate in our school, thereby meeting the economic demands of the state,” Burke said.
As these superintendents and education leaders have made clear, the potential cuts to federal funding pose a grave threat to the future of New Jersey kids, particularly those in high-poverty districts, students with disabilities, and those who rely on critical services to succeed in school. Without the support of the federal government, New Jersey schools may struggle to provide the quality education that all students deserve.
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