Sauickie Slams DOE Commissioner at Confirmation Hearing
February 21, 2025, 11:41 am | in
Sauickie Slams DOE Commissioner at Confirmation Hearing
2/21/2025
TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblyman Alex Sauickie urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject Kevin Dehmer’s confirmation as Commissioner of the Department of Education Thursday, citing his failures in managing financial crises that have led to school closures and systemic failures across multiple districts.
He highlighted the Lakewood School District, where a judge ordered the DOE to fix a decade-long financial crisis. Instead, Dehmer issued a report blaming the district.
"That wasn’t the assignment from the judge," Sauickie (R-Ocean) said. "The blatant disregard to following the judge’s order, or just the inability to do the job, is yet another reason why this acting commissioner should not be confirmed.”
He noted that Lakewood was forced to take out another $65 million loan this week, pushing its total debt to nearly $250 million.
Sauickie also condemned severe funding cuts to the Jackson School District, which has lost more than half of its state aid since 2018.
