20 NJ School Districts Facing Federal Funding Cuts—Why Union City Should Be Next

A recent report has listed 20 New Jersey school districts that are facing federal funding cuts, raising concerns about the impact on students and educators across the state. The affected districts include Bergenfield, Fairview, Westwood Regional, Delran Township, Gloucester City, Bridgeton, East Orange, Newark, North Bergen, Guttenberg, Hamilton Township, Keansburg, Brick Township, Clifton Township, Passaic City, Paterson City, Penns Grove-Carneys Point, Elizabeth, Linden, and Robert Treat Academy Charter School.

These schools are experiencing cuts amid growing concerns about financial mismanagement and declining educational outcomes in some districts. However, one glaring omission from the list is the Union City Board of Education (UCBOE), a district that has been plagued by repeated allegations of corruption, wasteful spending, and administrative failures under the leadership of Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack.

Union City’s Troubling Track Record

If federal funding is being cut due to mismanagement, the Union City School District should undoubtedly be on the list. Over the years, the district has been involved in numerous financial and legal controversies that warrant closer scrutiny from federal authorities, particularly the newly appointed U.S. Attorney Alina Haber.

• Excessive Legal Fees: Between 2009 and 2014, the UCBOE spent over $3 million on legal fees—five times the amount spent by similar districts. These expenses were primarily paid to two attorneys, with invoices that lacked detailed breakdowns, raising serious concerns about transparency and financial oversight. (Source)

• Corruption in City Contracts: Former UCBOE trustee and city inspector Johnny Garces was sentenced to 20 months in prison for conspiring to rig the contract selection process, causing at least $307,000 in losses. This scheme involved manipulating bids for federally funded projects, leading to substantial financial losses for the city’s Community Development Agency. (Source)

• Vendor Fraud Lawsuit: The UCBOE is currently suing a vendor for nearly $392,000 after the company failed to deliver contracted items, including printers, Chromebooks, and STEM equipment. The district had already paid for these items, but they were never received, forcing legal action. (Source)

• Failure to Protect Students: A recent court ruling found that the UCBOE can be held liable for sexual abuse committed by a former teacher-coach. The court determined that school administrators had prior knowledge of inappropriate relationships between the teacher and students but failed to act, leading to further abuse. (Source) there has been recent controversies of other alleged sexual predators currently employed by the Union City school district.

• Alleged pay-to-play complaints by Union City school district employees including Security, teachers administrators, and other staff. These allegations paid to play entails of retaliation and intimidation towards the staff. If they do not provide political contributions to Mayor Brian P Stack. Thorough research and investigations of the New Jersey elections law-enforcement commission website provides a long list of individuals from the board of education who contribute greatly to Brian Stack political organization. They are also reports in which employment at the Board of Education is provided as favors to those who politically support the Mayor.

• A former NJ State Senator and current Mayor of North Bergen Township once stated recently:
  “Union City gets a ridiculous amount of over $300 Million in State Aid and Stack uses it to pay hundreds of employees who are political workers that he sends into other towns like Jersey City,” Sacco said in a statement.
  “Every New Jersey taxpayer is financing Stack’s political machine. This isn’t just political patronage, it reeks of outright corruption”
• “Union City schools will get approximately $241.8 million from the state this year to educate about 11,000 students.” – Mayor Nick Sacco
• “Union City is getting over $100 million more tax dollars than Jersey City and has one third the number of students. Anyone can see that this is wrong. The question is how can this be happening. Kennedy Boulevard is our common border but Union City gets over three times the amount of state aid,” the North Bergen mayor added.” – Mayor Nick Sacco
• Sacco also noted that Union City was recently awarded $42 million in transition aid from the state for their municipal budget.
• “This $42 million is twice as much as they got last year. On a per capita basis this is a scandal when compared to what other towns receive.” – Mayor Nick Sacco. https://hudsoncountyview.com/sacco-union-citys-state-aid-is-outright-corruption-stack-sacco-was-lazy-senator/

Why Union City Needs Federal Oversight

With a documented history of financial mismanagement, corruption, and failure to protect students, the Union City School District should not only be on the list of schools facing federal funding cuts but also under immediate investigation by federal authorities. If other districts are being scrutinized, why is Union City being overlooked?

Newly appointed U.S. Attorney Alina Haber should take a closer look at the Union City Board of Education and its administration. The district’s repeated controversies suggest a deep-rooted problem that cannot be ignored. If funding is being pulled from other districts due to concerns about fiscal responsibility, it is imperative that Union City be held to the same standard.

As funding cuts continue to impact New Jersey schools, taxpayers and parents deserve to know that their money is being used responsibly. The federal government must ensure that districts with long-standing corruption and financial mismanagement are held accountable—starting with Union City.