JACKSON, NJ—There are less than 100 blue ribbon schools in New Jersey. A blue ribbon is one of the most honored national designations a school can achieve, and Jackson Township has two.
Next year, it will have only one.
McAuliffe Middle School, one of New Jersey’s few National Blue Ribbon Schools, is set to close this year due to funding cuts under the state’s S2 formula. The Jackson School District announced the closure as it struggles to bridge a budget gap caused by the controversial state funding adjustment.
McAuliffe, which received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School designation in 2002, is one of fewer than 100 schools in the state to have earned the honor. The federal recognition is awarded to schools that demonstrate high academic achievement or significant progress in closing achievement gaps.
The other blue ribbon school is the Lucy N. Holman Elementary School, which won the award in 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes select schools each year as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The program highlights schools that set high academic standards and implement innovative teaching practices.
The funding crisis stems from New Jersey’s S2 formula, enacted in 2018, which has reallocated state aid to districts deemed “overfunded” based on enrollment shifts and property tax contributions. Jackson School District officials have warned for years that the cuts would lead to severe consequences, including staff reductions and potential school closures.
When asked what districts like Jackson should do, Murphy said they would have to close a few schools. And they are. McAullife, named after deceased NASA astronaut Christa McAuliffe, is scheduled to close after this year. That school includes a tree grown from a seed from the International Space Station and a time capsule placed in the ground when the school was built in 1986. The school board did not say what would happen to either of those two community treasures if the building is sold to a developer or a private school organization.
In 2024, only 11 New Jersey schools met the criteria to be named a National Blue Ribbon School.