Kenneth Martin
NJ · Trustee, Hackensack Board of Education
Kenneth Martin is a trustee on the Hackensack Board of Education, sworn in in January 2024. He spent his career protecting and guiding students and was New Jersey's first school resource officer.
Where Kenneth Martin stands, based on their records
Opposes
Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record)
Mixed record
Government Spending Reduction (4 support · 1 oppose), Public Education Quality (2 support · 2 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 4 support · 1 oppose
Voted no on 2026-27 salaries for six top central office staff, with pay up to $180,250. Seven of the eight members voting said no, and one abstained.
June 16, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes to adopt the $166,056,636 Hackensack school budget for 2026-27. It set a local school tax of $105,933,741. It passed 8-0 with 1 abstention.
May 6, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes to lay off 100 school workers as of March 31, 2026, to help close a $17 million deficit. The list had 74 teachers and other certified staff and 26 other workers. It passed 9-0.
January 28, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes on a state-required plan to close the school district's budget deficit. The plan included laying off more than 90 staff in the middle of the school year. It passed 9-0.
January 21, 2026Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted no on hiring 6 more security guards for the high school and middle school for $342,720. He also voted no on buying metal detectors for $22,524. Both items passed 7-1.
October 16, 2024Supports Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 oppose
Voted no on hiring 6 more security guards for the high school and middle school for $342,720. He also voted no on buying metal detectors for $22,524. Both items passed 7-1.
October 16, 2024Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 2 support · 2 oppose
Voted yes to adopt the $166,056,636 Hackensack school budget for 2026-27. It set a local school tax of $105,933,741. It passed 8-0 with 1 abstention.
May 6, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes to lay off 100 school workers as of March 31, 2026, to help close a $17 million deficit. The list had 74 teachers and other certified staff and 26 other workers. It passed 9-0.
January 28, 2026Opposes Public Education Quality
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes to accept a one-time $6.5 million payment from the City of Hackensack to shrink the school deficit. The board said it would use the money to try to cancel mid-year teacher layoffs. It passed 7-0, with two members recused.
January 28, 2026Supports Public Education Quality
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes on a state-required plan to close the school district's budget deficit. The plan included laying off more than 90 staff in the middle of the school year. It passed 9-0.
January 21, 2026Opposes Public Education Quality
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Track record — General
General · 9 records
Abstained on the votes to appoint Mabel Bonilla and Vicky Farhi to two empty school board seats. Both appointments passed 5-0.
August 5, 2026
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Voted yes to not renew Superintendent Thomas McBryde Jr.'s contract, so his job ends June 30, 2027. The vote was 6-0, with one member recused.
July 29, 2026
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
The New Jersey School Ethics Commission dismissed an ethics complaint filed by Andrew Meehan against him and four other Hackensack board members. It found the facts did not show they broke the school ethics law.
February 24, 2026
Source: nj.gov
Was elected vice president of the Hackensack school board for 2026. The board vote was 9-0.
January 7, 2026
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Abstained on the vote to name Andrea Oates-Parchment as acting superintendent of Hackensack schools. The motion passed 6-0 with 2 abstentions.
June 18, 2025
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Made the motion to appoint Michael Jones to fill an empty seat on the Hackensack school board. The motion passed 8-0.
June 18, 2025
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
The New Jersey School Ethics Commission dismissed an ethics complaint against him filed by Marlene Somerville. It found the facts did not show he broke the school ethics law.
May 20, 2025
Source: nj.gov
Moved to send a plan for a second public comment period at school board meetings to the board's policy committee. The motion failed 3-6.
March 20, 2024
Source: files.smartsites.parentsquare.com
Took the oath of office as a Hackensack school board trustee. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer swore him in along with two other new trustees.
January 12, 2024
Source: gottheimer.house.gov
Past race Kenneth Martin ran in:
- Hackensack Board of Education, Full Three Year Term · November 3, 2026 · Hackensack City School District, New Jersey · incumbent