Message from the Superintendent and BOE President

Dear Cherry Hill Public Schools Community,

Today, we learned that Cherry Hill will once again face a reduction in State aid for the 2025-26 school year.  The New Jersey Department of Education has informed us that we will receive approximately $28.6 million in State aid, a loss of $884,317. This follows last year’s $6.9 million decrease.

As you may recall, the unwavering advocacy of our community last spring ultimately led to the  restoration of $3.1 million in one-time supplemental aid; however that money is not included in this year’s allocation.  The result is a nearly $4 million total reduction in State aid for 2025-26. This decrease poses undeniable challenges, and difficult decisions will need to be made. We want to reassure our community that, despite these challenges, we remain committed to meeting our students’ needs and maintaining the high quality education Cherry Hill is known for. We also want to reassure you that while these reductions will affect our overall budget, they will not impact projects funded through the bond referendum approved in October 2022.  The successful bond will allow us to continue addressing critical improvements to our district facilities as planned. 

We invite the community to learn more about the impact of this reduction by attending our upcoming Board of Education meetings, which will be held in-person at the Lewis Administration Building on March 11 and March 18 at 6:30 p.m. and live streamed. 

We will be working with State and local leaders in the coming weeks to advocate for our district and plan the next steps, and will explore every available option to uphold our mission and advocate for equitable funding. This includes collaboration with the Fair Funding for Cherry Hill Public Schools committee, and we encourage all stakeholders to get involved. Visit the committee’s Facebook page for details, including a meeting tonight at 7 p.m. Thank you for your continued partnership as we face these challenges together. Your support is crucial to ensuring that Cherry Hill Public Schools can continue to provide the high-quality education our children deserve.

Sincerely,