The year for New Jersey’s public schools started with a proposal from Gov. Phil Murphy to restrict cell phones in the classrooms and hallways. Almost 12 months later, a bill to do that appears poised to pass the Legislature.
That was just one of several measures and policy decisions facing the state’s schools in 2025, with state education funding continuing to be a perennial issue but a few newcomers to the list as well.
For instance, schools have begun to face the vexing challenges of artificial intelligence, school board meetings have become a hotbed of parental activism, and local controversies have erupted over certain charter schools, leading to steps to tighten oversight.
New rules and orders out of Washington have also posed new worries for local districts, including in how schools protect their immigrant children in the face of the federal enforcement crackdown.
Here is just some of the highlights in education and policy stories from NJ Spotlight News this year:
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