TRENTON, Dec. 31, 2024 – The New Jersey School Boards Association expressed its condolences to the family and friends of former President Jimmy Carter. Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died on Dec. 29 in Plains, Ga. at the age of 100. He was the longest living president in U.S. history.
“NJSBA joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, a man of steadfast conviction and untiring dedication to service,” said Dr. Timothy Purnell, NJSBA executive director and CEO. “His first public office, in 1955, was as a county school board member, and he was a committed advocate for public education throughout his entire lifetime. As we honor his memory, let us dedicate ourselves to the principles he held dear and work to build a future where all students have access to a quality education.”
Karen Cortellino, M.D., NJSBA president, echoed those sentiments. “President Carter’s life was a testament to the ideals of compassion and service and his legacy transcends his years in the White House. He believed public education was the bedrock of a healthy democracy and a flourishing society and his work to ensure that all students had the opportunity to learn strengthened our country and lifted us all.”
As a public official, Carter had long championed education. In addition to serving as a member of the Sumter County (Ga.) Board of Education, he advocated for education reform as a state senator and as governor of Georgia.
As president, one of Carter’s signature achievements in education was the 1979 establishment of a cabinet-level federal Department of Education. Previously federal level education issues had been handled as part of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
In his remarks at the signing of this legislation, he noted, “I remain convinced that education is one of the noblest enterprises a person or a society can undertake.”
In 1976, while a candidate for the presidency, Jimmy Carter expressed his support for education directly to the New Jersey School Boards Association.
That year the Association invited both then-President Gerald Ford and Gov. Jimmy Carter to attend the annual Workshop conference. President Ford did attend and addressed the state’s education leaders. Carter, who was less than a week away from winning the election, was unable to attend but sent a telegram. His message noted that public education “Must be considered a top budgetary priority on the federal level. The current federal share of education funding is simply not sufficient to meet our education needs.”
The flag will be lowered to half-staff at all federal buildings until Jan. 28, 2025, in honor of the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter.
