For more than 50 years, ELC has worked to ensure that every child in New Jersey receives the constitutional right to a “thorough and efficient” public education. Through litigation, policy advocacy, research, communications, and direct legal services, ELC advances educational equity for students across the state with a particular focus on those who have been historically underserved. Our New Jersey program is organized around three core areas: school funding and resource equity, student rights, and school desegregation.
School Funding & Resource Equity
ELC has led New Jersey’s school funding equity work for decades, building on the landmark Abbott v. Burke decisions to secure investments in preschool, school funding, school facilities, and targeted supports for students in high-need districts. Today, we advocate for the full implementation and modernization of the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) so that every district has the resources needed to provide all students with an excellent education. Our priorities include:
- Equitable and adequate funding under the SFRA;
- Expanding access to high-quality preschool;
- Improving school facilities and learning conditions;
- Closing opportunity gaps for low-income students; and
- Supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities.
Our advocacy is informed by rigorous research and data analysis. ELC maintains a comprehensive collection of New Jersey education data on school funding, preschool, and student demographics and produces reports, analyses, and tools that help policymakers, advocates, educators, and community members evaluate the equity and effectiveness of the state’s public education system.
ELC also works in partnership with advocates, educators, parents, and community organizations to advance educational equity across New Jersey. We convene the statewide Our Children/Our Schools network, which promotes equitable school funding, high-quality public schools, and policies that expand educational opportunity for all students.
Student Rights
Through our Student Rights Project (SRP)—New Jersey’s only nonprofit legal program dedicated exclusively to education issues—ELC provides free legal assistance to income-eligible families with children from preschool through high school.
We assist students and families with matters involving special education, school discipline, residency and enrollment, harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB), and access to educational services and supports. We also safeguard students’ rights by challenging policies and practices that create barriers to educational opportunities or discriminate against students based on their race, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, immigration status, or other protected characteristics.
In addition to direct legal assistance, ELC also publishes legal resources, provides technical assistance, partners with community organizations, and convenes the New Jersey Special Education Practitioners Network to improve access to educational opportunities. ELC also monitors and comments on proposed legislation regarding student rights.
School Desegregation
ELC works to ensure that students have access to racially and socioeconomically integrated schools. As co-counsel in New Jersey’s statewide school desegregation lawsuit, Latino Action Network vs. State of New Jersey, we combine litigation with research, policy advocacy, and coalition-building to reduce segregation and expand access to diverse, inclusive learning environments that benefit all students.