Losing control of local control
Summer is in full swing for families across New Jersey. Yet even in the middle of summer fun and busyness, local school boards are active, with many now considering or adopting updated policies drafted by the third‑party vendor Strauss Esmay. One of the most notable is Policy 2200, now expanded from a one‑page policy to a four‑page “new” version.
With the New Jersey State Board of Education expected to release new Sex Education Learning Standards next year, critics are raising concerns that adopting this local policy statewide would effectively bind school boards to purchase curriculum that meets the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, regardless of community concerns.
These concerns are not hypothetical. When Jeremy Li, board member in Bridgewater‑Raritan (Somerset County) asked the superintendent why this new policy needed board approval, he was told, “It’s the law.” A similar situation occurred in Galloway Township (Atlantic County), where board member Ethel Hermenau asked why the policy was necessary and was told it was mandated for QSAC (Quality Single Accountability Continuum) compliance.
Both statements reflect a troubling pattern: local officials asserting that Policy 2200 is required, even though state law mandates curriculum alignment, not the adoption of any specific Strauss Esmay policy.
This pattern happens far more often than most people realize. Locally elected school board members are usually regular people who trust the “paid professionals” — the superintendent and the board attorney — to provide honest, unbiased legal guidance so the board can have meaningful dialogue before any vote. Tragically, legitimate questions are often brushed aside with dismissive answers like “It’s the law” or “It’s mandated,” even when those claims are overly simplistic and lack any real explanation.
It creates a dynamic that feels like the classic parent‑child relationship. When a child asks “Why?” the parent responds, “Because I said so.” In public schools, the dynamic often looks like this: a third‑party vendor such as Strauss Esmay drafts policies supposedly designed to reflect state requirements; those policies are then reviewed and rubber‑stamped by the superintendent and board solicitor; and when an elected board member — the only person in the room chosen by voters — asks why the board is adopting the policy, the professionals essentially reply, “Because we said so.”
This is why we need strong school board members who provide not only accountability and oversight, but who are willing to make real, informed decisions about the policies and processes that will govern their schools. Effective board members understand that they are not rubber stamps. They are elected officials entrusted with the responsibility to question, evaluate, and ultimately decide what is best for students and families.
If you know someone running for school board this year, we would like to send them our candidate questionnaire to support their campaign and help voters understand their priorities. Please have them contact info@njfpc.org to request the survey.
In closing, when Jeremy Li — the Bridgewater‑Raritan board member mentioned earlier — proposed amendments to the district’s Library Materials policy to include age‑appropriate standards, he was abruptly shut down. His microphone was turned off, the livestream was cut for three minutes, and the superintendent along with several board members walked out of the room.
It was an extraordinary moment that captured exactly why strong, informed, and independent school board members are so urgently needed.
Watch this short clip to see what happened.
