Governor Phil Murphy’s 2026 budget touts a New Jersey that is “stronger, fairer and more prepared for the future.” But with 55% percent of NJ’s fourth graders not meeting grade-level expectations in math, are the state and local districts doing enough to prevent “Summer Slide”?
In summer, it feels like kids just keep growing and learning, right? Not true: without active practice, kids’ skills actually flatten or drop, especially in math. In fact, some students lose almost all the knowledge they gained in the previous school year.
But NJ schools can turn around Summer Slide by offering summer school. It’s simultaneously one of the most life-changing and cost-effective interventions for math.
Yet many districts deny students this opportunity. In our review of district budgets, we found that 35% had no line item for summer school. Even districts who did dedicate funds averaged less than $25 per pupil.
