On May 8, 2026, NJPSA testified before the Joint Committee on the Public Schools on the issues of student mental health, the NJ4S program and potential changes to the delivery of student mental health services through the SPARK initiative proposed by Governor Mikie Sherrill. NJPSA Director of Government Relations shared the experiences, perspectives and recommendations of NJPSA members based upon the Student Mental Health/NJ4S Survey that took place from March 27, 2026 through April 14, 2026. Bradley presented members views in these areas:
- Student mental health needs in today’s schools;
- Member experiences with the current NJ4S program;
- Recommendations for improvements to NJ4S; and
- Member recommendations on the development of any mental health program developed such as SPARK .
NJPSA shared the following recommendations with the membership of the Joint Committee. The NJPSA Government Relations staff have already shared our members’ recommendations with the Governor’s office, the NJDOE, the DCF and legislators.
- School leaders strongly value the support and programming services they have experienced through NJ4S and recommend that there be no break in the delivery of NJ4S services next school year. They believe that the abrupt ending of NJ4S will result in a quick and direct loss of student access to services, increased burdens on school staff, increased wait times for treatment, and likely increases in student behavioral issues, absenteeism and family strife.
- Since student needs for mental health interventions far exceeds the availability of services statewide, NJPSA recommends flat funding of NJ4S at the FY 2026 levels in the FY 2027 budget. The $38 million proposed for the proposed SPARK program does not meet the $45 million level spent on NJ4S in the current school year. School leaders fear a loss in services will significantly hurt students experiencing mental health challenges.
- School leaders stress the need to thoughtfully transition to any new system that provides direct mental health services to students. Our members emphasize their steadfast commitment to addressing the wellness of their students and seek an active role in the ongoing policy dialogue regarding the evolution of statewide mental health initiatives. We recommend a stakeholder engagement process with agencies, school leaders and other stakeholders, and experts collaborating on the development of new approaches to student mental health.
- School leaders understand that for many students, school is their safe place, where they feel most comfortable sharing their feelings, thoughts and needs. The need for expanded in-school resources and staffing is critical to meet students where they are. Recognizing that schools cannot do it all, however, they seek supplemental support, a focus on higher levels of student interventions, and direct local financial support as proposed in concept in the SPARKS program.
- In the context of a difficult budget year, it is important to coordinate inter-agency resources related to student mental health to promote breadth of services, accessibility and tiered interventions without duplicating resources or creating confusion in the field.
You can read NJPSA’s Testimony here. For more information, please contact the NJPSA Government Relations Team.