Overview
- Gov. Phil Murphy signed the requirement into law on Jan. 19 as one of his final acts, with Gov. Mikie Sherrill sworn in the next day.
- The law (S1783/A3865) requires public schools to ensure students in grades 3–5 can read and write cursive proficiently beginning in the 2026–2027 school year.
- Supporters, including Murphy and sponsors Sens. Angela McKnight and Shirley Turner, cite historical literacy, real‑world tasks like signing documents, and cognitive benefits.
- School leaders and groups such as the New Jersey School Boards Association warn of local-control concerns, limited classroom time, and added costs for materials and training.
- New Jersey joins Delaware and at least two dozen other states that require cursive, reversing a shift since around 2010 when Common Core made handwriting optional in the state.