State Aid Cuts Challenge South Jersey School District Hiring New Leader

Many media outlets have been focused on Federal Government's funding of the US Education System after President Donald Trump's Administration eliminated the Department of Education. But the reality is that a majority of School Aid Cuts have already come down from the state level across the country.

New Jersey is one of the states that has been dealing with inequities in School Funding for decades.  While NJ Governor Phil Murphy campaigned to fix the formula for School Aid, there are 63 School Districts in South Jersey that had their funding cut in 2024, and 27 South Jersey School Districts had State Aid cut in 2025.

One South Jersey School District facing budget shortfalls has hired a new Superintendent to help manage the future of the Municipality's Schools.

New Superintendent Set To Start Working This Summer For School District

Middle Township School Superintendent David Salvo is retiring after 11 years in this position and 30 years working in the School District. The next Superintendent comes to a job dealing with unique circumstances.

The School District located at the center of New Jersey's southernmost county has seen significant State Aid cuts in recent years. In the last two years, Middle Township has lost a total $957,167 in State Funding.

Middle Township submitted a School Budget Proposal to the residents to vote on a potential Tax Levy in 2024.  But 66 percent of Middle Township Voters said "No" to the Tax Levy that would have funded several School District projects.

The next School District Superintendent, starting on July 1st, will be Stephanie DeRose. After working as a Vineland High School Teacher for five years, DeRose has served as a vice principal and principal for Millville School District before becoming Assistant Superintendent.

DeRose, an Ocean City Resident, spent almost twenty years working in a School District that has not always gotten a fair shake when it comes to State Aid or support. Over the decades, many South Jersey communities have not been given the same attention or favor from Trenton as their North Jersey counterparts.

Middle Township already has over 50 percent of its Municipal Taxes go to the School District.  Here is the full breakdown of the percent of each New Jersey Town' Taxes that go to their local School District.