How do local school boards of education work in Essex County and New Jersey?

Approximately 1 in 7 New Jersey residents were enrolled in one of the state’s 593 public school districts in the 2022-2023 school year. On average, about half of local property taxes are dedicated to supporting PreK-12 education in public school districts. (Though the actual impact on people’s incomes varies by the wealth of the district’s residents.)

There are 22 local K-12 school districts in Essex County, including 20 governed by an elected school board and two by appointed boards.

The Jersey Bee produced this explainer about school government to help residents understand the structure and responsibility of the boards of New Jersey local public schools.

What are the responsibilities of New Jersey local public school boards?

According to the New Jersey School Boards Association, New Jersey school boards represent the concerns of citizens, parents, and taxpayers to school administrators while representing student and district needs to the public. 

New Jersey boards of education are responsible for:

• Hiring and evaluating the superintendent.
• Approving the appointments, resignations, and retirements of school employees.
• Negotiating teacher pay and union contracts.
• Adopting policies for their school district.
• Approving district curriculum.
• Adopting a district financial budget and overseeing expenses throughout the year.

New Jersey school board budgets include:

• Salaries and benefits for school employees.
• Purchases or leases for office or classroom space.
• Utilities costs.
• Professional service fees.
• Textbook and supply costs.
• Funds for deficits.

Budgets may invest in facility upgrades, school activities, and curriculum development. School boards can also apply for state aid programs to help finance the district’s expenses.

The time commitment for a school board member ranges from 11 to 50 hours per month, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association’s guide to being a school board member.

What are different types of local school boards of education in New Jersey and Essex County?

New Jersey local school districts are classified as either Type 2 or Type 1. 

Type 2 districts are K-12 public school systems governed by elected boards with independent taxing authority. Boards have five to nine members, a number set in the ordinance or referendum that created the district. State law requires nine board members in cities of 150,000 or more residents.

Type 1 districts are dependent K-12 public school systems governed by appointed boards that rely financially on municipal government.

East Orange is the only Type 1 school district in Essex County.

Essex County Vocational Schools also has an appointed board and relies on local government funding but vocational school districts don’t receive a Type 1 or 2 classification.

Type 1 districts can be converted to Type 2 by referendum. Montclair voters approved this change for their school district in the 2021 November general election.

How does an elected school board of education work?

A Type 2 school district is governed by a board of education elected by voters and financed by local taxes approved by voter referendum independently from municipal or county government. Type 2 districts may also receive state aid. 

In Essex County, school board elections are held in April for Irvington and Newark school districts. All other Type 2 school districts in Essex County elect board members during the November general election as of 2023.

Type 2 school districts may serve a single municipality or multiple, as in the case of the South Orange-Maplewood K-12 school district or West Essex Regional School District serving grades 7-12 in Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland.

Board members appoint a superintendent as the district’s executive officer to administer day-to-day operations, manage district employees and contractors, and advise and report to board members. They serve three- to five-year terms.

The board appoints a school business administrator as the district’s chief financial officer to manage and develop the district budget.

In Newark, a budget director assists the business administrator in creating the Newark school district budget.

How does a municipally appointed board of education work?

A Type 1 school district is governed by a board of education appointed by the mayor or executive officer of a municipality and includes five to nine members depending on its charter.

East Orange is the only Type 1 school district in Essex County. 

Type 1 school boards also appoint superintendents and school business administrators. But the budget is set by the district’s board of school estimate, a committee led by the mayor that includes two school board representatives. Type 1 districts are funded primarily by the municipal government and may receive some state funding.

How does a state-appointed board of education work?

The state board of education establishes state-operated local school districts after classifying a public school system as failing.

The state board of education, appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, appoints the local district board of education to oversee the district’s reorganization.

The state education commissioner appoints one or more administrators to oversee the district’s performance and implement state improvement plans. The administrator is responsible for:

• School operations, especially in specific areas of intervention.
• Developing and implementing improvement plans.
• Overriding school administrator and board of education decisions as needed in areas of intervention.
• Attending all board of education meetings, regular and executive.
• Assigning district funds related to intervention-related matters. 

The state may also appoint a monitor to oversee the district’s finances

These districts continue to be funded by local property taxes and may also receive state support. Once reorganization is complete, the district is restored to local control, and voters decide whether it becomes a Type 1 or Type 2 district by referendum.

In Essex County, the state took over Newark Public Schools in 1995 and returned control to a popularly elected board in 2018.

How do other local school boards of education work?

Other types of school districts are governed by different types of boards depending on the services they provide:

• Vocational school board.
• Special service school district board.
• Jointure commission boards.

All forms are financed by county government tax levies and state support. County colleges also receive student tuition.

New Jersey’s governor appoints county school superintendents with non-voting seats to county school boards. 

Vocational school boards

Essex County’s county vocational schools, or trade schools, are governed by a six-member vocational school board appointed by the county executive.

County board presidents appoint these boards where a county executive isn’t popularly elected. Other counties may also have five to nine board members.

Appointments are for three-year terms and typically occur in October, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Special service district school boards

Essex County has no county special services school districts but may create them by resolution of the county board of commissioners to offer specialized services for students with disabilities. This school district model is governed by a six-member board appointed by the county executive with an additional non-voting seat dedicated to the county superintendent of schools.

Jointure commission boards

Essex County has no jointure commissions, but two or more school districts can also independently establish jointure commissions to serve students with disabilities. The commission boards are composed of existing representatives from the school district boards and financed by participating districts.

This number depends on the number of district members making up the joint commission. For example, 17 board members make up the South Bergen Jointure Commission and 30 board members make up the Morris-Union Jointure Commission.

Learn more

Learn more about boards of educations from the New Jersey School Boards Association, a statewide school board federation, here.

Learn more about what sort of training new board of education members receive here.